Pokemon Black and White: Adventures and Love
by DaydreamingLatinPrincess
Summary: On the day of Blaise Felicity White's BDay, she runs away with her best friend and cousin at night. She wants to travel the Unova region but gets caught up in the mess that is N and Team Plasma, although she tries to deny her feeling for N, she loves him.
1. A Birthday Surprise

The sun was setting in my tiny town. Orange, pinks, purples, and blues were dripping from the sun, settling on the horizon. I was waiting for midnight, although I still had several hours to go.

I leaned toward more the sun as far as I could go, my elbows resting lightly on my windowsill. My cheeks rested on my palm. I tried to drink up the last rays of light that the sun was giving up. I longed to be closer to it. Longed to escape out of this town and escape to the world.

But I didn't have that option.

That sun was slowly falling down the horizon, stars twinkling in the almost dark. The stars looked refreshed, alive. They looked _free. _How I ached to be free.

Darkness had finally overcome the sky and the moon took the place of the sun, radiating its glow of white and fullness. I turned from my window, leaving the window open as a walked to my desk, turning on the lamp.

On the desk were gadgets and several numbers of tools. Along with that, several other things.

I smiled brightly at a certain gadget I've been working on for months. I picked it up and examined all sides of it.

It looked like a bracelet. There were shining metal arms that would clasped around a wrist or arm, and it was adjustable to fit any size. The metal gleam against the moonlight and shone back on my face. Connecting the metal arms, a circular stone glimmered. The top half sparkled red and the bottom half shone white. In the center, a black line cut throughout the stone, creating a rectangular shape with a black gray center.

I smiled lightly at my greatest and newest invention. My invention was going to change the world.

All of a sudden, I heard a cry and something nudge my hand. I looked down from my chair, spotting my Pokémon.

Lillipup stood, gazing at me with large black eyes, smiling. I gave a quiet laugh and picked her up as I then placed her on my desk.

"Lily, don't scare me, I'm in the middle of a breakthrough," I chastised quietly, yet still smiling. She quieted down, but not before she got the chance to apologize with a sweet lick to my face. I kissed her head and went back to my invention. Lily curled into a ball and watched my nimble hands with interest.

I unscrewed the top half of the circle of the bracelet and lifted it off, staring at the many different colored wires. I smiled happily; I was so close to done. Time past as I connected and removed wires. With my tiny hands, my task was made simpler. Before I knew it, my eyes wandered to my clock. It read: _11:50 P.M._

My smile faltered a bit. I turned to Lily.

"Only ten more minutes until my birthday," I said softly. She inched closer to me and rested her head on my hand that was still holding a wire. She gave me a look that asked: _What do you want for you birthday? _

"I want my invention to work…I want to travel the Unova region…" I said lost in thought. Lily whimpered as if to say: _andddd?_

A tear rolled my cheek.

"I want dad back."

In that instant, I lowered my head to place it on the back of my hands on my desk. Lily licked the tear from my face and nuzzled her furry head against mine.

Five years ago, dad went away, leaving me with my mom. He left to go to some important business over in the Sinnoh region along with the Pokémon Champions Alder and Cynthia. He spoke of trying to find a Legendary Pokémon that was supposed to have created their region. After about five weeks, Alder came to visit us, my mother and me. As he knocked on the door I expected to see him with my dad, but he wasn't there. When I asked where was my father was, Alder said that I should go upstairs and wait while he talked to my mom. I did so, but stopped at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping.

"Where's Will?" Mother had asked him.

"Will's gone," Alder replied softly.

"Done as in d-dead?"

"Gone as in gone, but he might as well be dead. Giratina was awakened over in the Sinnoh Region and was released by Team Galactic. Cynthia and I tried to stop them but they had already awakened Giratina. Will was there before us and we watched as he got sucked into Giratina's devastating world. Listen, Maribel, we tried to save him. We really did, but it was already too late. The least we could have done for him was try to save Sinnoh and defeat Team Galactic's leader, which we did. I'm so sorry."

Mom's cries flooded the house. I peeked down the stairs to see mom. She was wrapped in Alder's arms, crying into his chest. I wasn't worried about any romantic feelings that came from my mom to him, if anything; he was like her older brother, and dad's best friend. After what seemed like an hour of mom's cries, and an hour of me staring motionless at a picture of dad and me that Alder had taken when I was just three years old(a picture of dad showing me how to throw a Pokéball) Alder stepped quietly into my room.

"How ya doing, Blaise?" he asked me.

"Daddy's dead." I replied to him.

He walked to me and sat beside me on my bed. He seemed like a giant to my ten year old mind.

"No, no. Don't believe that, sweetie. He just disappeared. Just believe he always out there, waiting for the moment when he has you and your mom in his arms."

That was the moment I truly broke down into heart-breaking sobs. I would never be able to feel dad's warmth or the bristles of hair on his face around his chin and mouth that brushed my forehead when he kissed me goodnight. I would never even hear his voice that lulled me to sleep when he told me stories of Legendary Pokémon or the songs he sang to make me laugh. Alder wrapped me in his arms.

"He said if anything happened to him, to give you this."

He handed me a large parcel and a small envelope.

"Open them when I leave, alright?"

I nodded and sniffed.

"Bye, kiddo."

"Bye, Uncle Alder."

With that he left my room and my mom crying into the night.

When he truly left the house and my town, I opened the letter. It read:

_Dearest Blaise,_

_If you're reading this, than something probably happened to me while I was away. I want to let you know, that of all the things I've done, you are my greatest accomplishment. Well, you and marrying your mother. _

_From the moment you were born, you've had this aura about you. You were serene and always calm, along with a fiery determination to your heart. Alder felt this too. So did your mother. We know you are destined for greatness. _

_My princess, in the parcel in something that will grow with you as you age and become wiser. Take care of it as if your life depended on it. You're smart, like your mother, you're beautiful, like your mother, and you're determined, like me. I know that after you reading this and your mother losing me, she won't let you go. She'll want to protect you, want her little baby to stay in her arms where you're safe, but know something Blaise, every bird must leave the nest, must leave home, must leave protection. You, my baby girl, will want to live and follow in my footsteps. I know you'll want to travel one day and leave our little, quiet town. It's in your blood to want that. Darling, if you have that craving, go for it. Nothing is stopping you but have the ability to endure anything and the voice that makes songbirds jealous. _

_So remember, if you have a dream, go for it. If you love, don't let it go. If you fall, get right back up. If you laugh, remember why. If you cry, remember the good. If you curse, you better have a good reason for it. _

_I have and always will love you, my little songbird. _

_Your father,_

_William Eric White_

After reading the letter, I had torn open the parcel. Inside of it was a large, gleaming white and green egg. I held it to the light and examined it. Daddy had given me a friend that would stay and fight with me forever.

I remember keeping the egg with me at all times, taking it to school, hiding it in my room and backpack and cuddling with it at night. Days past and it had finally hatched, Lily crawling out.

As I escaped my memories, I looked at the clock again: _11:58 P.M._

"Two more minutes, Lily." I said. I went back to finish the bracelet.

It only took one more minute to finish it completely.

I jumped out of my chair and did a quiet victory dance.

"I'm finished with it! I'm _finally finished_! You know what's it going to do, Lily?" I asked her, giddy and happy. She turned her head sideways to give me a questioning look, wagging her tail and smiling. I leaned forward and whispered, "It going to make me understand what you're saying. In other words, I'll be able to understand you…" She barked happily and I hushed her, clasping the metal arms around her leg. I motioned her not to speak until the clock stroked twelve.

Seconds ticked by as I counted down.

"Five…four…three…two…o—"

"_Happy Birthday_!" Lily yelled. I clamped her muzzle shut after she yelled, not wanting my mother to know I was awake at this hour. But the moment passed with nothing. I suddenly laughed with joy, Lily squished against me. I spun her around my room, laughing quietly. We plopped on the floor and fell in front of the window. We stared at the sky, blank with nothing except dazzling stars and a bright moon. As I tried to get up, Lily pounced on my hand.

"_Don't go to bed yet, something good is about to happen, I can feel it_," she said, excited. So we waited in front of my window for about a couple of seconds. Then one—two things fell from the sky with a silver and purple tail. Then all of a sudden, millions of things fell from the sky with gorgeous tails.

"It's a meteor shower!" I exclaimed. The sight was startling beautiful. I shut my eyes and wished for my birthday wish: _I want to travel the region like my daddy did._

And with that wish, I let the colors and sound of streaking stars lull me to sleep on the floor.

"_Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Blaise, Happy Birthday to youuuu!" _A chorus of people sang me awake. I opened my sleep filled eyes to a gathering of people surrounding me. Brown hair like mine sparkled into view along with two people with blonde hair and one with black-ash hair.

"Blaise! Get up off the floor!" a familiar voice cried, helping me up and making me sit up on my bed.

"Mommy?" I asked. Mom clapped her hands in glee and hugged me.

"Happy Birthday, Blaise! Oh, it's not every day your daughter turns fifteen!" she exclaimed. Mom kissed my cheek and I heard a few other Happy Birthday's. Blonde hair fluttered around me as my cousin and aunt hugged me.

"Oh, sweetie, Happy Birthday! Bianca has your gift downstairs," Aunt Rosabel cried. I hugged her and said thanks. My older cousin Bianca bounded towards me.

"Hey, Blazey Lazy! Awwww, my little cousin is turning fifteen!" she exclaimed happily as she lifted my brown bangs off my eyes so I could see her better. Her blonde bob cut filled in my sight of her as she smiled kindly toward me. She had her green beret on with that little strip of white running through it. She had her white blouse and skirt on, her orange little tunic on top of the white blouse. On her left wrist she wore a white band and an over the shoulder frilly green bag. Covering her legs were orange stockings and flats that fit snugly on her feet. I smiled brightly at her.

"I'm only a month younger than you, not a year," I said casually. My best friend pushed through, his glasses shining in the sun.

"Yeah, but you're two months younger than me," he said. The guy was Cheren. He had black hair and brown eyes. He had on a white and red t-shirt with a light blue jacket over it. We had on black pants with his belt and blue weird-shaped converse. He smiled at me.

"Happy B-day, Blaisy!" he added. My mom tore my attention back to her.

"Sweetie, all your presents are down stairs and you have an additional one from Professor Juniper. I'll be down stairs making breakfast." She left without another word, and I felt I was the only one who heard the hostility toward her voice when she mentioned Juniper's name. Cheren and Bianca sat on either side of me.

"So, you're finally fifteen? How does it feel?" Bianca asked.

I reached up to scratch the back of my head and shook out my hair from its bun.

"Really? Well, I don't really feel much of a difference…" I started.

Cheren laughed.

"No one does. Hey, your Lillipup is acting really quiet…" he said. I looked at her. Immediately I saw the uncomfortable feeling in her eyes, she ached to bark, but something was stopping her from speaking. Wait, _speaking_?

_Oh no!_ I thought. I quickly scooped her up and took off her metal bracelet that allowed her to talk. I didn't want anyone to find out about my invention so soon.

"Oh, this bracelet is probably hurting her. Maybe she would bark unless I took it off…" I rambled. I snapped the bracelet onto my wrist and clicked _off_ before anyone thought anything was suspicious.

"Alright, Blaise! Time to open your presents!" Bianca sang as she led me down the stairs with Cheren laughing behind me. She led me to the kitchen table where presents were stacked. I took the orange one first (probably from Bianca) and wrapped it, finding a new outfit along with high tops with a chunky heel. I gave her a hug.

"Awwww! Thanks!"

Next, I spotted a red wrapped gift (Cheren probably) and tore it open. Inside of it was a rather large book. I read the title of it: _Against the Sun. _I giggled with glee. Cheren has bought the romance novel I've wanted to read since last week. I hugged him and jumped up and down.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" I sang, my words all blending together. He smiled. I went to the next present that was tightly wrapped in purple wrapping paper. Mom came into the room, drying her hands on her apron. She had a half smile plastered onto her face.

"That's from me and your dad…before he…" she lost her train of thought and shook her head. "Your dad bought you that before he disappeared. He said he wanted me to give you that when you turned fifteen," she said softly as she left the dining table to go back to the kitchen to go get our breakfast. I took the gift gently, scared to even lay a fingerprint on it. I tore the purple wrapping from it, the crunching noise filling the room. I peeled the paper off, and gasp at what I saw.

There was a pink over the shoulder bag, with several numerous pockets to hold different things. When I opened some of the pockets, I saw shocked to see things in there. Potions and original Pokéball, a few bag items and a map of the Unova Region along with the right size running shoes. I looked at mom as she placed plates of food in front of Bianca and Cheren. I stared at mom as she tried to avoid my eyes.

"Mom…did you…?" I asked slowly. She shook her head.

"Sweetie, when you were ten, when Alder came to visit, he gave me a parcel from your father. This was one of the things in the parcel and your father wrote in a letter to give this to you when you turn fifteen. And apparently, you're father is close to physic since he knew what size shoes you would wear when you turned fifteen…" My mother rambled on. Thinking about my dad always made her…depressed. I put the bag to the side and reached for my last present.

There it laid, a square white box wrapped neatly in green ribbons. I tugged on the tails of the ribbons and lifted off the top part of the box.

My heart immediately skipped several beats. Two things were laid inside the box, an enlarged Pokéball with a Pokédex. I pulled out the ball first and it shivered in my palms. Instantly, I felt a strong connection to whatever laid in here. I heard Lily bark, urging me to reveal what was inside it. My mother, Bianca, and Cheren stared at me…waiting for me. Without a second thought, I threw the ball in an arc across the dining room. The ball shivered again and cracked open halfway while a blinding white glow filled the room. My breath caught in my throat as a Pokémon with colors of green and yellow looked around the dining room, hyperaware of its surroundings. It threw a questioning look at me and I smiled at it brightly and I reached for the Pokédex. I placed it in front of me as the Pokédex registered the Pokémon. It beeped and said a few words I couldn't properly process, as all I was doing was watching Snivy.

"You got one, too!" Bianca sang. In the next moment, she pulled out a Pokéball (after a few seconds of trying to find it and pull it out of her bag) and threw it in the air. The room gleamed white again and a Pokémon with whiskers and a shell on its chest came out, crying out gleefully.

"I got what t_oo_?" I asked.

"A starter Pokémon," Cheren added, twirling his own Pokéball in the air. White flashed again and a pig-like Pokémon smiled happily at Cheren. I looked at my mother and her face practically shined and glowed with anger. I saw her pulse pound in her forehead. She yanked the rag that hung over her shoulder down and slapped it on the table with all the anger she had in her.

"I told her not to do that!" she yelled at the air as she stormed upstairs to her room, muttering about losing and 'not ready yet.'

I looked at my cousin and best friend with confusion.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"I think I have an idea about why, but let's all forget about it," Bianca said calmly. My eyes searched for Snivy as I found it near the table, nibbling on my piece of bacon. Cheren smiled at me.

"I don't think it fully trust you yet…Oh! Wait! I know! We should all have a battle!" He said as he grabbed Bianca wrist and led her out the door while Bianca grabbed my wrist to tag me along. Before we had past the door, I called for Snivy and Lily who followed obediently. We jogged to the side of my house and stopped. Bianca turned to face me.

"OK! Me first!" she cried out. My face exploded with happiness as I got ready to face my first battle. Bianca screamed out first.

"Oshawott, use _pound_!" she yelled as her Pokémon ran to mine with quick speed.

"Snivy, avoid and use _tackle_!" I yelled to Snivy. Quicker than Oshawott, Snivy's lean body slithered out of the way and hit Oshawott square in the back. Oshawott skidded on the dirt and fell, confused and trying to get back up. I used that to my advantage.

"Snivy! Again, use _tackle_!" I yelled. Snivy, accepting my commands quickly ran to Oshawott to hit it again in the back. Bianca, realizing what was about to happened, responded quickly.

"Oshawott! Avoid it!" she cried. Oshawott, a little late, barely rolled out of the way as all was left for Snivy to hit was hard dirt.

"Oshawott! Now! Uses _pound_!" she cried as Oshawott raced to Snivy to smack it backwards. Snivy was knocked backwards as Oshawott made contact with Snivy.

"Snivy, one more time! Use _tackle_!" I yelled. Oshawott, a little fatigue with it little attack didn't have enough time to process what Bianca wanted it to do. Snivy saw the perfect opportunity. She raced to Oshawott and threw her whole body weight against Oshawott to hit it directly and hard. Oshawott, stunned and hurt, fainted without another command. Filled with adrenaline, I jumped for joy and ran to Snivy to hug her.

"You were awesome!" I said to her. She made a happy sound and I turned to Bianca.

"Wow, Bianca, you're really good," I complemented. But all she gave me was a stunned look with her mouth hanging open. I turned to Cheren and he gave me the same look.

"What?" I asked the two.

"Blaise, was that your first battle?" he asked me. I nodded slowly.

"That was amazing. Your Snivy did exactly what you told it to do, no question asked. It must really trust you. Wow, it took me days just to get Tepig's trust." He said. Bianca nodded with agreement. I beamed at them.

"Thanks."

"Wow, geez Blaise. My turn," he said as went towards me to heal Snivy a bit and then to Bianca to heal her Oshawott.

"Ok, let's battle," he said. I took a firm position with Snivy at my side.

"Ready?" I asked her. She nodded. I smiled to myself, awaiting Cheren's first move. He didn't wait a second.

"Tepig! Use _scatch_!" he yelled. Tepig raced toward Snivy as she herself ran towards Tepig.

"Snivy! Counterattack and use _tackle!_" I cried. Snivy danced out of Tepig's path but instead of Snivy hitting him, he turned around and barely scratched her tail.

"Snivy! _Tackle_!" I cried again. Snivy, monitoring Tepig's movements ran around him in circles, trying to confuse him. When he lost his line of sight of her, she slammed into his body with all her weight to knock him sideways. With that one move, Tepig seemed weakened and shocked. Cheren responded quickly.

"Tepig, keep an eye on her and use _scratch_!" With Snivy a little dizzy from running in circles, her balance was a bit of focus and Tepig managed to scratch her front. She growled at him with her pain and he seemed to step back a little, a little scared. I saw my advantage.

"Snivy! That's it! _Growl _again!" She followed and growled at him louder.

"Tepig! _Scratch_!" Cheren yelled. But this time when Tepig tried to scratch her, he only nicked her as if scared to touch her with her growling like this.

"Snivy! You got it! _Tackle_ him!" Snivy raced to Tepig and slammed her whole weight against him. He fell to his side and rolled in the dirt, fainted at last. I smiled widely and ran to Snivy and Cheren and his Tepig. I scooped up Snivy, who was slightly injured, and hugged her.

"Oh my god! Awesome job!" I praised. Lily barked in agreement. Cheren scooped up Tepig and looked at me in shock.

"What? B-b-but you weren't supposed to win!" he accused. I gave him a bewildered look.

"Excuse me?" I asked. Bianca's laughter rang in our ears.

"Don't mind him, Blaise. It's the first time he got his butt whipped. Apparently, due to type match up, fire Pokémon triumphs over grass Pokémon. But you showed him wrong." She laughed again, her Oshawott smiling beside her. I laughed with her and Cheren managed to smile.

"Blaise! Bianca! Cheren!" a voice cried. The three of us ran to the back of my house to see who was calling for us. In a little building, yards away from my house, a woman with a lab coat on and light brown hair waved to us at her door.

"Professor Juniper!" I said with glee. She made a motion that seemed like she wanted all three of us to go in her building. Without a moment hesitation, we all jogged toward her. She smiled at us happily and opened the door. She ushered us in and we walked toward her computer with all her data in the screen.

"Why the call?" Bianca asked. Juniper laughed.

"Well, first, I wanted to heal Cheren's Tepig," she grabbed his Pokéball with Tepig in it and placed it in a machine that heal it within a few seconds, "and I wanted to congratulate Blaise a happy birthday and winning her first battles." She smiled brightly at me and I couldn't help but to beam back.

"How's Snivy?" she asked me. Snivy, hanging from my arms that folded across my chest, made a gurgling, happy sound.

"She's fine. Better than fine if you ask me," I chimed. Professor Juniper chuckled.

"She really likes you…would you like to nickname her?" she asked me. I bit my bottom lip, unsure of what I should call her.

"I'm not sure what I should call her. 'Snivy' just fits well enough than any other name and I'm sure she wouldn't want a nickname like 'Snives' or something like that." As if to prove my point, Snivy gagged when I said the name 'Snives.'

"I understand," Juniper said. She turned backwards and logged something onto her computer, typing at maximum speed.

"She really trusts you, Blaise," Professor Juniper added. I blushed crimson. "In fact, all of your Pokémon trust you greatly," she added toward Cheren and Bianca. Cheren smiled proudly and Bianca blushed like me.

"What would you say to a journey of venturing out in the Unova region? For scientific purposes…" She said. I gasped.

"We would love that!" we said. She sighed.

"Well, you all have your materials needed, but there is one thing…" she began, "you have to ask permission from your parents."

All our faces turned white. Mine especially. Mother would never let me leave. Bianca's father would ground her if she tried to leave. And Cheren father, shoot, he never step out of the house again if he asked his dad. I brushed a hair out of my eyes.

"I guess I can try to ask mom if she would allow it," I said. Bianca nodded beside me but Cheren didn't move at all. Juniper gave us each half a smile.

"Alright then. Tell me the result after your conversation." We left with another word. I turned to my cousin and best friend.

"Get your parents at my house. We all have one big conversation," I said softly. I chewed the inside of my cheeks as I let them go get there parents. I snapped the Pokétalk (the name I finally decide on for my invention) and clasped it to Lily's leg.

"You think they'll say yes?" I asked warily.

"_Dunno, maybe…" _she left her answer to wander in the air. Before we entered my house I snapped the Pokétalk back onto my wrist and ran upstairs to mom's room. I opened her door.

"Mommy?" I asked. She sat on top of her bed, sitting up on the edge. Her eyes shot towards me and it was clear that she had just snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes?" she muttered.

"We need to have a talk, downstairs." She nodded and followed me out the door. We climbed down the stairs and I told her to sit in a chair and wait a few moments. Within a second, Bianca's and Cheren's parents filed in the house, taking seats next my mother. When they were all settled, Bianca nudged my ribs, ushering me to talk first.

"Mommy? Mr. and Mrs. Blade, Auntie Rosabel, Uncle Tom…" I began. I took a breath. "There comes a turning point in life where you have to do what you want to do. And the three of us," I made a hand gesture to Cheren and Bianca, "well, we really want to travel in the Unova region. We want to venture out and pursue our dreams. With our Pokémon."

There was a deafening silence.

And then Uncle Tom stood up, his chair scraping across the wooded floor.

"I don't care about what your parents and Cheren parents think, but Bianca, you are _not _going to _venture _in Unova!" he practically yelled. Bianca opened her mouth in shock.

Aunt Rosabel tried to take Uncle Tom's hand but he ripped it out of her grasp.

"Tom—" she began.

"No! Rosabel! Listen, I don't want my daughter running in the region alone!" he yelled at his wife.

"But she won't be alone! She'll be with me and Cheren and her Pokémon!" I argued.

Cheren parents began to speak up.

"No, Bianca will not have you and Cheren because Cheren will not be going," his mother said.

"Mom!" Cheren yelled.

"You are not to leave!" his father bellowed.

Cheren cringed and looked at me. I turned to look at my mother who wore an expressionless mask.

"Mommy, please, you have to give us permission to go! This is our dream! This is what we want," I said slowly and calmly. Bianca's parents and Cheren's parents looked at her. My mother slowly stood up and puffed out her chest a little with a grim frown. She spoke clearly and slowly.

"Blaise, sweetie, I don't want you to venture the Unova region. I told Juniper this. I told her to not give you any ideas, but she went ahead and did! After I specifically told her not to! SO there you have it. You have none of my permission what so ever. And anyway you are too young!" She yelled the last parts of her words. I was infuriated and angry. I took a step toward her.

"I am fifteen years old! I'm not a baby anymore! The only reason you don't want me to leave is because you're scared I'm not strong enough to handle the world in my arms!" I yelled at her. My mother's face puffed and turned red.

"_Blaise Felicity White_! Don't you dare talk to me that way! The only reason I'm not letting you leave is because of your father! I don't need to lose you after losing your father! If you think for one mere second that I'm not letting you go because you're strong-which you are-you're wrong! Don't you dare ask me that question again! The answer is no! Always no!" she screamed. She took a few breaths to calm down.

"Dad said that's it in my blood to want travel and venture in the Unova region. He said that if I had a dream, I should go for it." With those last words, I ran upstairs to my room and locked the door. I tumbled out onto my bed, sobbing and crying into the sheets. By now, I knew that Bianca and Cheren had left, along with their parents. Bianca, probably crying like me and Cheren probably smashing or breaking something to let his anger out.

I crumpled the sheets in my fist, holding on tightly. I felt a tugging on the back of head, my hair being pulled. Lily jumped over me, a chunk of my hair on her muzzle. I stared at the chunk of hair Lily wanted me to see. My hair, a chuck of it near the back of my head was entirely pink. I had colored it to represent my unseen rebellious side to myself. No one knew that I had dyed my hair except for Lily. She pulled it toward me to see it. I took it from her and pulled it softly, a soft tug on the back of my head as a result. I pulled Snivy and Lily to me and sobbed into them. Snivy cuddled against me and Lily nuzzled her head against my tears.

Hours seemed to past as my eyes all did was let water fall down my cheeks. Soon, I was fast asleep.

A soft beeping sound had waked me up. On the edge of my bed was my phone with its Xtransceiver app. I looked at the time, surprised to see it had said: 9:30 P.M. I tapped the answer button and two faces look cheerily at me, until they saw my face.

"Blaise! Oh! Are you okay? You took terrible!" Bianca cried. Her eyes too seemed a bit red and stuffy.

"I feel terrible," I gasped. Cheren's face fell.

"Well, I have some news that might make you happy…" he said, I tried my best to smile.

"What?" I asked softly.

"Me and Bianca were talking and, we're going to run away, travel the world without our parents' permission. Blaise, want to join?" he asked me. I opened my mouth wide and felt warm tears leave a hot trail down my cheeks. I nodded at them, smiling and crying with happiness.

Their cheers erupted.

"Meet us at Route 1 in thirty minutes!" They cried as they hung up. Snivy and Lily, hearing what had happened smiled at me and I kissed their foreheads.

"Get what you guys need. We're leaving in thirty," I said happily. Lily gave a silent bark and rushed downstairs after I unlocked the door for her. I looked at Snivy.

"Snivy, this right here," I pointed the bracelet that clasped itself it my wrist, "is a Pokétalk. It enables Pokémon to speak in a language we can understand and if you ever needed to talk, tell me so I can give it to you." She nodded that told me she understood and rushed downstairs after Lily. I tore my clothes off and rushed into the shower, only taking five minutes. As I slipped into panties and a bra, I tried to towel dry my hair. Once it was decent enough, I took a brush and combed out knots as quick as I could. With that down, I took a look at myself in a full body mirror. I was shocked to see myself.

I looked older, wiser.

My baby, blue eyes shined through my long lashes. My eyes had little, almost 'un-see-able', specks of silver in them. My chestnut, dark, brown hair fell to my waist. I was tall; average tall, with perfect size breasts for my age and nice curves to my body. I grabbed my hair and tossed it over my shoulder, peering down at it to try and find my hidden streak of pink hair. When I did, I smiled, and for the first time, I thought my smile was pretty, but not in a vain way. For the first time, I thought I actually looked…well, pretty.

Suddenly, rushed for time, I raced to the new outfit Bianca had bought me for my birthday. There were extremely short shorts with the pockets slipping through in a jagged looking way. There was also a white tank top with a black vest. Quickly, I slipped the clothing on and adjusted my hair into a high ponytail with the long hair near my ears curling down to my breasts. With that last note, I turned around to see Lily with my pink bag I had gotten for my birthday in her teeth. I took it from her and opened it up. Finding my book in there and a few items, and a strange slip of paper. I took it and read it, the edges of it yellow and aged.

_Blaise,_

_Your journey starts here. Let people know you are a White._

_Your Father, _

_William Eric White_

"I will," I whispered to the paper as I gently tucked the paper into the Key Items pocket. I quickly slipped my chunky-heeled high-tops on and asked Lily and Snivy if I had everything. They nodded. I handed Snivy the Pokétalk.

"Is mom awake?"

"_No, knocked out cold,_" Snivy's calm, pretty voice rang. I smiled and I with my Pokémon, silently slipped down the staircase. We crept out of the house and jogged toward the edge of my tiny town of Nuvema. Bianca and Cheren were already there along with—

"Professor Juniper!" I cried softly. She smiled at me and I beamed.

"Hello, Blaise, I just wanted to wish the three of you happiness for your journey. I know Cheren wants to become Champion of the Unova region and Bianca wants to travel along with you and Cheren…Blaise, what do you want?" Juniper asked. I shrugged.

"I just want to find myself out there and maybe…maybe get an inkling of where my dad might be," I said, letting my answer hang. She nodded.

"I wish you three the best of luck. You all have a Pokédex?" she asked. We nodded.

"Good, don't forget to fill it in. Good-bye for now! Oh, and Blaise, another present." She dug into her pocket and unfolded a piece of fabric. In her hands was a white baseball cap with a pink drawing of a Pokéball and the shading part that blocked the sun was also pink. I smiled, took it, said thank you, and she left. I linked my arms with Bianca and Cheren.

"My fellow Pokémon Trainers, shall we run away and blaze a pathway?" I asked them. Bianca giggled and Cheren chuckled.

"We shall." Cheren and Bianca said.

"Then…onward comrades!" I yelled as we blazed a path in the grass out of Nuvema town without looking back. I turned to Bianca.

"We'll spend the night at Grandma Sylvia's house," I told Cheren. Grandma Sylvia was mine and Bianca's grandmother. She lived in Accumula Town, just north of Route 1. Cheren nodded and I stared at the both of them, smiling widely. I then stared forward and said, "And so, our journey begins…"


	2. First Impressions

A/N: Hello! I wrote an author's note for the first chapter but it didn't save so here's the A/N! Ha-ha, I really love this DS game. I quite enjoyed it and I believed it was the best one yet and let just get this straight. I don't really like the TV show and I've never been a fan of the cards, so, for your information, I only like Pokémon when it a DS game, because seriously, a girl can't survive on Cooking Mama games and fashion sturff(yeah, I like to spell stuff like that). Alright, loves, enjoy the second chappie!

Chapter two: First Impressions

I felt the warmth of rosy light dance on my bare arms and legs as I lay twisted in a bed in the comforters. Sunny light streamed out of a pink curtained window, making the light look rosy and pink as it entered the room. I tried to recall what had awakened me, soon finding out what.

"Blaisey! Wake up! Come on, we should get ready to leave before our parents have a clue that we're in Accumula town!" a soft, hushed voice whispered. I stretched in the bed, the yellow comforters further getting tangled around my too warm body. I strained to sit up and my eyes opened halfway.

"Uh, am—am I at Grandma's house?" I asked. The person who woke me laughed.

"Duh! Do you remember anything from last night?" the voice laughed. My memory suddenly flashed to yesterday. Cheren and Bianca catching their second Pokémon, the three of us running away, and hearing Bianca and mine's moonlight confessions throughout the night. I stretched again and rubbed my eyes.

"Bianca?" I asked.

"The one and only! Now hurry up and get dressed! If we're lucky, my mom will think I'm at your house and your mom will think you're at mine. And if we're super lucky, Cheren's parents will think he overslept or is at either of our houses. But still, hurry up and get dressed," she said as she threw my clothes at me. I looked down at myself, seeing me in only my underwear and a really large baggy shirt that fell to my knees. I yawned and picked up my clothes. Bianca was already dressed and she was now doing her hair, her Oshawott snoring quietly on her pillow. I looked beside me and saw Lily and Snivy cuddling beside me. They snuggled closer to my body, trying to get warmer, I guess. I stepped out of my bed and looked around one of the extra rooms my grandmother had in her house.

There were two beds in the room, the room looking like sunshine mix in with rosy light, trying to succumb me into falling asleep again.

I pulled of my baggy shirt and slipped into my white tank top and my hole-y shorts with the white pockets sticking out in jagged shapes out of my shorts. Silently, I slipped my high tops sneakers onto my feet and slipped my black vest over my tank. I yawned again as I pulled my hair out of its sloppy bun. I ruffled my hair as it cascaded down my shoulders and gathered it up as I pulled it up into a high ponytail and pulled my hat over my head and down my eyes.

Bianca, now finished with her hair, plopped back down on her bed and looked at me, jostling her Oshawott awake.

"Ready?" she asked. I yawned, stretched and nodded, my body feeling sleepy. I went back to my bed, gently shaking Snivy and Lily back awake. They yawned at me and Snivy climbed up my arm to rest on my hat, her body slumped when she got there. I took Lily in my arms and walked out the room door with Bianca and her Oshawott.

I was about to walk downstairs when Bianca stopped me in front of another room door. She pointed at the door.

"We should wake Cheren up."

I put Lily on the ground and quietly opened the door, a soft snoring coming from the covers. I saw Bianca stare at him tenderly. I snickered and she stared at me, mouthing, "_What_?"

I whispered, "You thought I forgot about what you said last night?" I snickered again and then tried to imitate Bianca's voice. "_Blaise, can I tell you something? Look, ever since we were kids, I've been madly in love with Cheren! Every time I see him my heart skips a beat and I can't breathe. If I could, I'd kiss him to sleep and I stare at photos of him while I try to fall asleep and I hate it that he only sees me as a friend. I wish I could explore his bod—" _Bianca chose that moment to hit my shoulder to shut me up, not letting me complete the word. I gave a quiet laughter that made me bend over and clutch my belly. I felt Snivy clutch my hat as I bent over, quickly straightening up so she could recover her position. As I regained my composure, Bianca whispered to me.

"I never said that! I never said that I wanted to explore is body!" she harshly whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"But you thought it," I retaliated. She scoffed at me and let her eyes wander back to Cheren. "Should we wake him up?" she asked.

I nodded to her question and smirked, finding the perfect way to wake up my best friend.

"Hold on tight, Snivy!" I said. I felt a sudden clench on my head and shaking. I turned toward Cheren's bed and ran, jumping when the bed was in my range. Once I was on his bed, I started to jump up and down. Snivy's gripped harder and I laughed, my balanced knocked off as I jumped accidently on a wooden ball attached to a bed post. My footing was lost and I began to fall sideways onto Cheren. I landed on him with an _oof _and wheezed as the air was knocked out of me. Cheren was startled awake at my weight on top of him and groaned. Bianca stood at the side of the bed, laughing her heart out, clutching her belly. Cheren pushed me off of him quickly and I fell to the floor.

"Sorry, Blaise. I don't like you like that," he said, laughing at my state, him fully awake now. Once the air had returned to me, I stood up and smacked the back of his head.

"Like I would go out with you, dumbass," I retorted. Bianca snorted and Cheren smirked as he grabbed for his glasses. I sat on the edge of the bed that he was laying in.

"Bianca said we should get ready to leave, so get what you need and leave what you don't. Bianca said if we're super lucky, our parents will think we're at each others' houses." He nodded and yawned.

"We should thank your grandma. She really nice," Cheren said. Bianca and I giggled.

"Wait until you see her at breakfast," I said as Bianca and I bounded out of his room so he could change. We raced down the stairs to the dining table, Bianca beating me because of her speed. We sat beside each other and listened to our grandmother humming a cheerful morning tune in the kitchen. Bianca and I reached for a biscuit, nibbling it. Our grandmother came into view.

She wore her silly, frilly, pink nightgown that fell to her ankles and her hair cascade down her shoulder to the small of her back, her hair more silver rather than grey. Her blue eyes sparkled, the ones I had inherited, and she smiled brightly at us. She came in with plates of eggs, bacon, toast, and a few berries for the Pokémon. Snivy, finally declawing herself from my hat, raced down my shoulder to my arm to the table to scold me in her language for my rapid movements and jumping and running. But one she saw the berries, she stopped what she was saying and raced toward a berry, taking it in her hands and nibbling it, but watching me with steady eyes. Lily, though, was happily trotting around the room and jumped up from a few chairs to join Snivy in the Pokémon feast. Bianca's Oshawott also joined.

"Morning sweets!" she said as she poured coffee in everyone's cup. I added cream to mine and a few cubes of sugar as all Bianca did was grab a handful of sugar and dumped it into her mug. We all took a swig and returned 'good morning's' back to my grandma. My grandmother leaned further toward us.

"My, my, your friend Cheren has turned out to be quiet handsome! Have you set your claim on him from the other girls, Bianca?" my grandmother asked. Bianca faced turned as red as a Cheri Berry.

"Grandma!" she said, her face flushed. My grandmother laughed.

"It's fine, dear. Your secret is safe with us!" she whispered loudly to Bianca with a big smile. I joined in her beaming and Bianca blushed harder. Grandma turned toward me.

"And you, Blaise? Have you found your _sweet, spicy, hot, hunky, sexy_ man yet?" my grandma asked innocently.

I gagged on my coffee and choked. Bianca laughed hysterically.

"Grandma, you did not just ask Blaise that!" Bianca laughed. My grandmother smirked.

"Am I not allowed to ask my granddaughter those questions?" she asked. She smirked.

"But Grandma! It's kind of awkward if a sixty-five year old lady ask a fifteen year old that!" Bianca said, giggling harder. Grandma gave Bianca an innocent look.

"But darling! Haven't you heard? Sixty-five is the new fifty-two!" she said, her smile all bright and glowing. Bianca and I nearly died of laughter. Cheren had chosen this perfect moment to come with all his stuff and Tepig. He bounded down the stairs and sat by Bianca, his Tepig jumping onto the table to go take a berry. My grandmother wobbled to the window, peeping through the blinds. She shivered in happiness.

"Ooh! Mr. Ravine is out watering the roses today!" she said gleefully.

"Who's Mr. Ravine?" Cheren asked, taking a sip from his coffee.

"My neighbor. He's around my age I believe. He also happens to be very sexy for his age."

Cheren gagged and Bianca and I snorted.

"Falling back in love, Grandma?" I asked her sarcastically. She waggled her white eyebrows at us.

"Nothing can stop this young girl from getting a sexy man she wants!" she ended her words with a shimmy that made her chest seem like it was just flopping and flopping around. I watched as Cheren paled and Bianca and I doubled over in our chairs with laughter.

* * *

The time came for us to leave and my Grandmother came to the door to see us out.

"Don't worry, loves. Your parents won't be getting a word from my lips!" she said as she gathered us into a sweet hug. She then let go of all of us so each of us could individually get a sweet kiss from her on our forehead. She got a hold of Cheren first and kissed his forehead. She then reached over for Bianca and kissed her cheek. She then reached for me to plant a kiss on my cheek but stopped midway. She let me go and looked over my shoulders.

"That's odd," she said. We all turned around to see what she was staring at, spotting a crowd of people and other people, all dressed in the exact same uniform and a man with a weird looking robe on.

"What's going on?" I asked her. Her eyes looked grave, a sudden change from her happy attitude.

"Something bad," she whispered as all of us followed her to the ridiculously large crowd to see what the buzz and commotion was about. The four of us shoved our way to the front of the crowd as Snivy tried to avoid being stepped on by crawling back to the top of my hat and Lily getting comfortable in my pink bag with her furry head sticking out.

"Is something going on in the plaza?" a little boy asked.

"Dunno. Let's go see," A man answered.

Bianca, Cheren, and I along with my grandmother finally managed to shove our way to the front. What we saw was strange, extremely strange.

Seven men and woman were in a horizontal line, all facing the crowd. None showed the slightest bit of emotion, but I could swear I saw looks of evil and a few smirks here and there. A man stood in the center of the plaza, a few feet closer to the crowd then the uniformed people who stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Grandma, is there a festival going on?" I asked her. She shook her head, but remained staring intently at the weirdly dressed man. I took a closer look at him.

He stood tall and proud, with his chest thrust out and chin held high with a royal air to him. He was very tall, a strange robe on him that seemed baggy. His hair was a light green and tumbled down his shoulder and three little patches of hair that curved in the air; one each near both his ears and one that stood up with a curl at the end on the top of his head like Cheren. His robe seemed heavy. A heavy material clung to his shoulders with square things hanging upward with blue encrusted jewels along with a logo that had a P in the center with something that looking like a Z or something similar to a lightning bolt behind it. The logo had split it half to show white on the left side and black on the right from the position from where I was looking. The heavy silk material had split into two from his top piece, two sides with an eye with colors of purple, red, and cream. Though, both sides looked like they were opposites of each other and he wore white socks along with a slim white robe underneath his heavier robe with brown shoes.

He looked psychotic in general.

"Does his mother pick out his clothes?" Bianca whispered to me. I hushed her and turned to the man who had just begun to speak.

"My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma."

I spoke from the crowd.

"What is Team Plasma?"

He smirked at me.

"I was soon about to explain that, but first..." He turned to the rest of the crowd. "Ladies and gentleman, I would like to talk to you people of Accumula Town about Pokémon Liberation." Murmurs were heard across the Plaza.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Ghetsis only spoke again after the people had quieted down. He walked to one edge of the crowd, facing a family with their little girl clutching her Pokémon.

"I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other," he said. He gave the little girl a glance. "However, is that really the truth?"

The little girl gave her Pokémon a sad look, as if feeling guilty of what the man had said. The mother of the child threw Ghetsis an angry look, mad at him for confusing her daughter with right and wrong and the love between her daughter and her daughter's Pokémon. Ghetsis then looked at the mother.

"Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans only assume that this is the truth?" The mother stared daggers his way. He then moved his position to our edge of the crowd. He looked at Bianca, Cheren and me, completely ignoring my grandmother.

"Pokémon are subjects to the selfish commands of Trainers…They get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work… Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?" Murmurs again were heard.

"No way!"

"Yikes!"

"I don't know…" He had begun to turn to the people who had whispered and had begun to say something else when I had spoken up.

"I can!" I exclaimed, and bit my bottom lip. I can't believe I had just said that! I bit my lip harder. Ghetsis threw his head sharply my way.

"Excuse me?" he asked. It was obvious that he wasn't prepared for this. I drew a breath.

"I can," I repeated shakily. I felt something squeeze my head, realizing Snivy was squeezing my head in support. There was also a little pressure on my left hip, Lily placing her paw on my hip also in support. I drew another shaky breath and said more firmly, "I can." He gawked at me. I felt Bianca and Cheren tug on my arms.

"Blaise, don't," they whispered, but I didn't listen. I couldn't allow this man to speak to people with Pokémon that way. He made everything seem wrong. I raised my chin high, feeling Snivy slide a little and strode past him to the center of the plaza, climbing on a bench and standing up on it to make myself seen.

"Don't listen to this man!" I yelled, pointing at Ghetsis. What was I doing?

"He's trying to confuse us! Humans and Pokémon have been friends since the dawn of time! We've learn to bring the brightest of us through them and they with us. We've only known the best kind of friendship through them and love. We love our Pokémon like family! And like family, you have to love every single member!" Lily barked loudly in agreement and Snivy cried out. Ghetsis spoke, a snarl in his words.

"People of Accumula town, she has brainwashed her Pokémon to support her ideals and truths!" he said, a growl in his words. I stood proud and tall, getting off the bench and walking to him. He was two heads taller than me, and the people watch how I, a fifteen year old, stood up to thirty or forty something year old man. I spoke clearly and loudly, spitting my words at him.

"If you mean brainwashing them with love, then yes, I agree with you. I have brainwashed my Pokémon."

He staggered back at the force of my words. Closer to him now, I saw his red eyes, one eye covered with a white and red monocle. Lily growled along with Snivy as I strutted back to my previous spot. The little girl on the opposite end caught my eye and she smiled me on, her mother also looking as if she supported my words. Bianca and Cheren gaped at me, but my grandma, she smiled with pride. I took my place beside Cheren and Bianca and made a fluttering motion with my hand at Ghetsis.

"Go on with you pathetic, evil speech."

I saw a pulse pound in his head and one corner of his lip twitch as he tried to glower at me. He stepped away from me, returning to the center of the plaza, staring at all the people in the crowd, continuing as if nothing happened.

"Now ladies and gentleman, Pokémon are different from us humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?"

Murmurs echoed through the Plaza and this tiny town, asking what the answer might be. Cheren looked down and raised his head again, taking a half step forward.

"Liberation?" he answered, confused if that really was the responsibility of humans toward their Pokémon. Bianca grasped his shoulders and pulled him back, but not before Ghetsis had found his answerer and his answer.

"Exactly right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals!" he said. He stopped with a dramatic silence, walking slowly to me and by best friend and my cousin. He towered over me, and I felt like his words were meant only for me, since I was the one who was against him here.

"I end my words here on this fine day by imploring you to…_consider…_ the _relationship_ between people and Pokémon. And the…_correct…_way to progress. Team Plasma and I genuinely appreciate your attention."

He glared at me and smiled evilly. He turned his back to me and snapped his fingers, two grunts retrieving their banners and the rest surrounding him like bodyguards as he left Accumula Town. The people of the town only spoke after he disappeared into the gates.

I was surprised to see Mr. Ravine strut to my grandmother along with a few other people. My grandmother turned to him, giving him a weak smile, too angry to give him a real smile after she heard such a speech.

"About that speech…What do you think we should do?" My grandma opened her mouth and closed it, not sure about what to say. I spoke for her.

"That speech is stupid. He was just trying to make us reconsider the relationships between us and Pokémon." Snivy grunted at my answer and curled on my hat, assuring me that she wanted to stay with me and Lily nuzzling her head against my waist to show that she loved me and didn't ever wanted to be _liberated_ from me. I saw Oshawott cuddle with Bianca as she hugged him, knowing that they never wanted to be separated. I saw the same feeling being spread with Cheren and his Tepig. A young woman wandered into the group.

"But it worked. He _is_ making us reconsider relationships between the Pokemon and Us."

"Don't listen to him! Pokémon and humans are meant to be together as family and friends! And liberation is just a bunch of crap!" I said, making sure my words were heard. A man spoke next.

"Liberate Pokémon? That's not even possible!" he said.

"That man knows that! Which is why he's going to try something new, sooner or later," I said. The little girl with her mother that Ghetsis spoke to came to me.

"I hope it never comes," she said as she hugged her Pokémon to her and skipped away with her mommy. I felt a sharp pang in my chest as I wished for my mommy. I shook it away as our tiny group broke away and went back home.

My grandma suddenly hugged me and the wind was knocked out of me as I gave a little _oof! _

"What you did was very brave, Blaise," she said to me as she kissed my cheek and hugged me again. She turned to all three of us.

"Feel welcome to come back any time. And be careful on your trip! I love you all. Yes, even you Cheren. Alright, children, you better be on your way now!" she said, giving all of us a final hug as she wobbled away to her house. The three of us walked over to a bench, each of us pulling out maps. My question was spoken.

"So, first of all, how and where are we going to sleep tonight?"

Cheren glanced at the map.

"I have an aunt and uncle in Castelia City. They have like two extra rooms for like whenever family comes to visit. I can call them and ask if we can spend a night there," he suggested. I nodded, urging him to say more, I had a feeling he wasn't quite done.

"But…um…err…I don't think you want to spend the night there, Blaisey," he said softly, using one of my many nicknames to soften the situation. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whatever, Cheren. If there's a bed and a bathroom, I can handle it. I can find dinner myself if it's not available at your family's house."

Cheren chuckled.

"You don't think I know that? OK, whatever you say, but don't come crawling to me if you don't like what you see," he retorted. I snorted at him. What could possibly make me run away from a house with a bed and bathroom? I glanced at my map.

There were two areas with a gym leader, not including Castelia's Gym leader. I could fight him tomorrow. It looked like a long walk, but I could survive. A spring wind played with my hair and I smelled vanilla and chocolate waft toward me. I sniffed the air, ignoring it as I watched Snivy and Lily and Tepig and Oshawott agree that they never wanted to be liberated from their Trainers. I watch Snivy go into a fit. It seemed as if she launched into a speech in her language and I watch her end her speech as she raced toward me and slithered up my leg to my arm to my head and stand up on my hat to scream out to the world what seemed like: "_I love my Trainer and I never want to be liberated from her!" _I picked her up from my hat and brought her to my face and kissed her snout. She made a sound that I could easily understand. _I love you! _I laughed aloud as the scent of vanilla and chocolate became stronger.

I was startled as something rushed up to me and overshadowed and towered over me. Green flashed brightly in my vision. A man stepped up to me, his eyes green like moss and endless. They met mine, both of our eyes wide. My eyes were wide because I was surprised a total, absolute stranger had just raced up to me. His because…well, I really don't know.

"Your Pokémon!" he exclaimed. I never thought I could be trapped in someone's voice, his was beautiful, and I couldn't describe it. I saw Cheren quickly glance at Bianca and me, puffing his chest and trying to sit up taller, thinking he would protect us if this guy was a threat. I looked up at the man again, his eyes wider and his face serious. His eyes were locked with mine, clear that he only wished to speak to me. He leaned more towards me and I pressed my back harder into the bench, my heart beating quickly as I wondered why this man loomed so close to me. He pointed at Snivy with fascination.

"Just now! It was saying…"

Cheren chose this moment to stand and make this man step back a few feet, the man's green eyes finally unlocking from my blue eyes.

"Hey, dude, back up. Give her some space. And your speaking too fast, slow down," Cheren said calmly. My hands relaxed from their balled up position. Funny, I don't remember clenching my hands at all. Bianca mouthed a few words toward me: _you all right? _I nodded. Geez, it's not like the guy had hit me or whatever. Bianca's gaze wandered back to the green-haired man, her eyes widening.

"Wait. What's this about Pokémon talking? That's a really odd this to say," Bianca commented. His eyes flashed to Bianca but returned suddenly to me. I cowered underneath the shadow of my hat, my right index finger twirling and wrapping my hair around it nervously under his heavy gaze. I tried to avoid his eyes, my eyes darting here and there.

"Yes, they're talking," he began. "Oh, wait. Then you three can't hear it either…What a shame." My head shot up in anger. I was about to retaliate by saying that I could hear them talk with a certain device I created but thought better of it. I couldn't risk my secrets yet and telling everyone one in the Unova region that I made such a creation. I bit back my anger and refused to speak to this man. He continued to speak, his eyes still strangely focused on me.

"Your friend, she's rather a quiet one, isn't she," he said. I scowled at him and was about to say something extremely rude when Bianca spoke quickly.

"She's actually quite talkative but if she doesn't want to speak, she doesn't have to." I cast my eyes to the trees, muttering to myself.

"I can speak for myself," I said quietly.

The man ignored Bianca and my comment.

"My name is N," he said kindly to me.

N? That's a funny name.

Cheren took the spotlight. "My name is Cheren. And these two over here are my best friends. She, the blonde one," he gestured to Bianca, "is Bianca. And the brunette you keep staring at," Cheren signaled to me as I thought I saw a faint color of pink rush to N's cheek, "is Blaise."

"Hi," I said firmly to the man. Bianca picked up where Cheren left off.

"We were asked to complete the Pokédex, you see. We actually just left on our journey. Though, Cheren's number one goal is to become the Champion."

N nodded as if he understood.

"The Pokédex, huh? Doing that means you're going to imprison many, many Pokémon in Pokéballs for that, then."

_Imprison?_

I gaped at him, my eyes widened in shock. He did not just go there.

"It's for research! So we can better understand Pokémon and find out how they came to be and their main sole purpose!" I exclaimed. He shrugged.

"Well, either way, I'm sure their sole purpose isn't to fight others to become stronger." I clenched my hands and stood up from the bench, taking a step closer to him. He backed up, his palms opened to me.

"Wait, listen, I'm a Trainer too, but, well, I can't help but wonder…Are Pokémon really happy that way?"

I felt my anger soften as I considered what he said. My thoughts reached back to Ghetsis. N and he thought practically the same. Was N there during Ghetsis' speech? How come I was absolutely positive I was against Ghetsis words and ideals but wondered about what was right when N spoke? It was true that Ghetsis had charisma, but what about N? How could he make me have second thoughts? I looked at him, really looked at him.

His face was peachy colored, pale and flawless. His long green hair was wrapped behind him in a ponytail as the rest was too short and hanged near his ears and stuck out underneath his black and white cap. His face was nicely carved, masculine and set. He wore a crisp, white, collared shirt, a black turtleneck underneath. On his left wrist, three gold, square bangles clinked against another and a thick bracelet hugged his right wrist. Khaki colored pants hung on his waist, and attached to one of the pant's belt strap was a cube on a silver chain. The cube was divided into nine tinier squares on each side, the center squares hollow on each side. And green sneakers on his feet.

Now, really looking at him, he didn't seem like a man anymore, just your average, normal seventeen year old.

But he was more than average…and normal.

Suddenly, he took a step towards me and I was startled out of his trance he put me in.

"Well, Blaise…is it?" he asked me, asking if he said my name correctly. I nodded.

"Let me hear your Pokémon's voice again," he said simply. I knew what that meant. He wanted a battle. There was no 'May I battle you?' or 'Can we have a battle?' No, it was '_let me hear your Pokémon's voice again.' _As strange as it was, I only nodded my head slightly and immediately felt Cheren at my side.

"If you lose, I'll beat him up for you," he whispered at my ear.

I turned toward him and lifted a corner of my mouth, smiling at him, and rolled my eyes.

"You sound like you want me to lose."

"Anything to embarrass you with." Cheren's words made me laugh and I felt my confidence rise up. I walked past N and stood in the center of the plaza as Snivy jumped of my head and stood beside me, anticipating the battle.

"I'm ready," I said to N and he took his place several yards in front of me. I saw him crack a half smile as he called out his Pokémon, his Purrloin. As soon as his Purrloin was out of its Pokéball, I reacted quickly and started the battle.

"Snivy! You _leer!_" I watched as Snivy moved quickly to the center of the space between N and me, his Purrloin racing to meet Snivy as well. As I thought the two were about to crash, Snivy veered left and ran in circles around Purrloin. Purrloin, confused of Snivy's location paused as Snivy finally stop to stare into Purrloin's eyes, glaring evilly at it. Purrloin, caught off guard, backed away as I knew its defense was lowered.

N was quick to react.

"Purrloin! Use _growl!_" he yelled. His Purrloin raced to Snivy and growled in her face. Snivy's eyes widen as she backed up. I couldn't let Snivy stay in a shocked stage for long, I had to respond.

"Snivy! Come on! Use _Vine Whip!_"

My grandmother taught me the move last night to show Snivy. We worked on it for a few minutes and she performed it flawlessly, the move perfected.

I watched as Snivy took her stance, and vines seemed to jut out of her golden yellow, curling, collar leafs. The vines twisted and lashed out, longer than expected. The attack hit N's Purrloin, but sadly, didn't do as much damage as I wanted it to do. I clenched my teeth. This wasn't a battle of friends and trust; it was a battle against ability and truths along with ideals. I stood my ground and clenched my teeth as Snivy's vines retracted back into her. Strangely, N seemed to grow with excitement watching how our battle was playing out.

"Purrloin, _scratch!" _

Purrloin bounded towards Snivy, leaping closer and closer to it. I could tell both were of equal strength and speed, and it would be utterly useless to beg Snivy to avoid the attack in any way she could. Purrloin was up to her in a second and scratched at Snivy's front. Snivy cried out in distress. I pressed my lips.

"Snivy! Come on! I know you can win this! Use _Vine Whip_ again!" Snivy obeyed, performing now with a greater purpose as the vines came out again. They lashed out at Purrloin, a purple welt the size of my hand being formed on N's Pokémon's cheek. Purrloin flinched and withdrew. N's face fell.

"Purrloin! Come on, boy! Use _Scratch_!"

Of the mention of the move, Purrloin flinched again, and I was left with an opening that could maybe cause my victory.

"Snivy! This is it! One more time! _Vine Whip!_"

Snivy, understanding the situation, raced forward, making sure she had a nice target and a nicer range. Prepared, she let the vines out again and lashed at Purrloin as hard as she could, her hard work repaid as Purrloin toppled to the ground, her cries echoing as the last sound heard. Snivy and I, panting hard with excitement and a tiredness aura flowing from us, half smiled to each other as we watched N let Purrloin return to its Pokéball. N muttered to himself, but the wind let the words silently drift to my ears

"Wow. I've never think I've ever hear such things."

Cheren and Blaise took their place on both sides of me, after sprinting toward me after the battle.

N walked slowly to me, him towering over me as he was a head taller. I thought I saw his green eyes flash in wonder, but his mouth curved into a frown.

"As long as Pokémon are restrained in Pokéballs…they will never become the perfect beings they are supposed to be. Blaise, I have to change the world for Pokémon, because…they're my friends," N said to me. No, he said it to us, to me, Cheren, and Bianca. I stared at his wonderful moss eyes. No, he talked directly to me.

He smiled a good-bye and I watched as he left Accumula Town. Did I see him look back at me as he stepped past the Town Gates?

"Blaise! EARTH TO BLAISE!" Cheren screamed.

"What?" I said confused. Bianca giggled.

"Ha-ha! Blaise, Cheren has been calling your name for the last twenty seconds!" she exclaimed, giggling.

"Oh. What is it?" I asked Cheren. He rolled his eyes.

"I was talking about the guy. He's a strange guy, isn't he? Well, whoever he is, we shouldn't waste thoughts and time thinking about him. Besides, Trainers and Pokémon help each other out. Listen, Bianca and I are going on ahead. I want to beat Striaton's Gym and Nacrene's Gym before nightfall, after all, that's the only way we can become stronger, challenging every area's Gym Leader," he said, excited. Bianca snorted and bumped her hip against Cheren. He swayed smoothly at the momentum.

"Cheren, don't bore Blaise with unimportant details. I think she knows how to catch a Pokémon and become stronger and blah, blah, blah. She's only like, two or something months younger than you," Bianca said, smiling with laughter on her face. Cheren rolled his eyes once again.

"I'm just refreshing her on information," he said as he pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Hey, should we meet each other in Nacrene City?" I offered, after all, we are all each other's best friend and we are going on a similar journey together.

"Yeah, I call you two when I finish the battle there. See ya, Blaisey. Bye, Bianca."

Bianca and I watched Cheren as he jogged to the Gates. When he finally passed through, Bianca turned to me and smacked herself on the forehead with the heel of her hand.

"I'm so stupid! Why the heck did I do that? Why did _you_ let me do that?" she whined as her shoulder slumped. I was taken aback.

"Let you do what exactly?" I asked her. She sighed.

"I can't believe I slammed my hip into Cheren! And I _snorted!_" she whined.

It took me a second to recall her slamming her hip into Cheren and snorting. I placed my right hand over my nose and mouth and laughed into it as my eyes shut close. I peeked through my fingers and straightened myself up, smiling at Bianca, who pouted her lower lip.

"First of all, Bianca, you did not '_slam' _your hip into him, it was just a little _bump. _I bet he didn't even notice it," I said calmly. I saw tears on the verge of falling in Bianca's eyes.

"_That's even worse!" _she wailed. I face-palmed myself and sighed. I was never going to get this boy-girl advice right, so I decided to go with original.

"Bianca, listen, I bet he does like you, he just hasn't admitted to himself yet. Just give it some time, OK?"

She sniffled and nodded, sighing.

I wonder how many seconds it's going to be before she becomes her old usual self again.

"I think that green-hair guy likes you. He kept staring at you weirdly, even if Cheren or I were talking to him directly. He's was kind of cute, too!"

Apparently, not many seconds.

"What do you think?" she asked me.

I called back my memory of him. His green eyes and hair, the tone of his skin, flawless and peachy, and they way his eyes watched me. No guy has ever _watched_ me like that. He was…in a way…_handsome_.

I wonder what his first impression of me was.

"He was cute," I answered modestly. Bianca snickered.

"Alright, well, I'm off. I'll call you when I'm in Nacrene City."

"Ok," I said as I watched her walk off to the gates. I returned to my spot on the benches. I was going to leave soon but I just wanted a quick second to myself, and a little rest time before Trainer would race up to me, begging for battles, not giving me an option on Route 2. I leaned back into the seat as I felt a vibrating in my bag. Lily took my phone in her teeth and handed it to me as I thank her while I pressed the _TALK_ button. The Xtransceiver blinked to life as a picture of an angry thirty year old mom took up half of the video screen of my phone/Xtransceiver.

_Holy crap!_

"_BLAISE FELICITY WHITE! What the hell do you think you're doing? Where are you? I swear, when you come back you are grounded for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" _my mother screamed through the Xtransceiver. I flinched at her voice and twisted my lips to the side.

"Well, um, that's not much of a reason to go back home, is it?" I gave a halfhearted smile, but that made my mom scream even louder.

"BLAISE! You better be coming home this instant! You are not allowed to travel a region by yourself! You are too young! And too naïve!"

That was the last straw. My own mother was practically calling me weak. My anger boiled and churned in me.

"NO! I'm not coming home! I'm never coming home! I'm not too young! And I'm not naïve!" I screamed back on her. From the corner of my eyes, I could see people outside watching me scream at the screen of my phone, thinking I was crazy.

"You listen to me, young lady! What would your father think of you if he knew you disobeyed me and went to travel all alone in a region like this during a time like this?" My mother yelled through the phone even louder.

My anger reached its limit.

"HE WOULD BE PROUD OF ME! HE WOULD WANT ME TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS! HE WOULD WANT ME TO TAKE CHARGE OF MY OWN LIFE. AND HE WOULD WANT YOU TO STOP STOPPING ME FROM DOING WHAT I WANT TO DO DEALING WITH A LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY!" I yelled at the phone, finally hanging up. I stuffed the phone into the bottom of my bag, letting Lily get resettled into it and Snivy climbing back to my hat, resting on it. Both remained quiet as I stomped my way out of Accumula Town as I past the Gates and into Route 2.

Well, my journey was off to a good start. I've already: (1) heard a speech that made people rethink their way of life with Pokémon, (2) had a handsome guy around two years older than me talk to me and battle me and claim that he could understand Pokémon _and _make me rethink the sole purposes of Pokémon, and (3) had my mother yell at me about my journey into the Unova Region.

Yeah, I was off to a _fantastic_ start.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! How was that? I really hope you guys enjoyed it, not my best, but I thought it was pretty good. I just want to thank my reviewers: Kazusa-chanx and ChocoKoKo. Thank you very much for being my first reviewers. I really appreciate it that you guys took the time to do that. Thank you very much. And Kazusa, I apologize for confusing Blaise's hair color. Its dark brown but at the back of her head, she a, um, what would you call it, clump? Nooo…um…streak! Yeah, that's the right word…I think…but yeah, she has a streak of pink hair at the back of her head, it's not natural, she dyed it that way. It's to show/represent her rebellious side. Choco, I wanted to say thanks for your comment, too. And yeah, I wonder too why they don't put the father in the games. Ok, so thanks to you two! :) Reviewers for this chapter also get a little shoutout like Kazusa-chanx and ChocoKoKo. And I wanted to thank all my subscribers too for this story, too. Thank you everyone. Without you guys, a story is nothing, and a story with nothing, is a bad story. I lurve ya'll very much. Mwah!

~NiNi


	3. A Battle With A Side Of Chili

A/N: Hello everyone! Here's the third chapter everyone deserves. You guys are awesome! Here's a long-ish chapter for you guys. And now, here are the shout-outs!

Shout-outs:

Thank you again Kazusa-chanx for your review! I appreciate it! Yes, they did feel ignored, didn't they? XD I'm glad you enjoyed the 2nd chapter and I hope you'll like this one. N is perfect, isn't he? Ha-ha, I'm glad that you'll always review, and don't worry, they won't seem annoying, reviews and reviewers always make me happy!

KizunaOtakuArashi-Thank you for your review! I appreciate it! Yes, I didn't want to make Blaise obsess with N. Right now; she's just kinda…awed by him. Not really crazy in love, but kinda like, 'hmmmm, who is he?' She's kind of like confused and not really interested…yet. At the moment, she just can't find the ability to love anyone except her mom, of course (even thought her mom makes her angry), Cheren (who is like her best friend since childhood), Bianca, her cousin who she has to love 'cause their family, and of course her Pokémon, who she loves dearly and can really trust. And yes, she is secretive is her motives. She just wants to be under-the-radar so she doesn't attract that much attention from really anybody. And yes, N will learn about her little invention. And a slap to the face that will be. :)

Tailsdoll123- thank you for your review! I appreciate yours, too! Thank you for calling my story 'really good' and saying you 'can't wait for the next chapter!' :) Here's the chapter, I hope you'll enjoy.

* * *

**A Battle with a Side of Chili**

My feet were killing me. They ached a lot.

Route 2 had been an easy one, a flat road, but there was a lot of tall grass. And, like I suspected, there were a lot of Trainers who were eager to battle. There was a boy I think named Jimmy who seemed very excited to battle and he had just raced up to me, begging for a battle. Of course I battled with him, the winning in my favor since my Pokémon were stronger than his. He was very nice though and handed me money since that was what you were supposed to do if you lost, hand the winner some money. Though, I handed him back a few of it, I couldn't take it all, I didn't want all of it. And there was a girl my age names Mali who demanded a battle as soon as I saw her in my path. I won that battle, too, getting some more money, and returning some of it too. And there was another boy, Ben, I think. It was just like the other two battles earlier.

Eye-contact. Permission. Fight. Win. Get money. Return some of it. Say good-bye. Get some helpful advice.

It wasn't long until I saw a few buildings spring above the trees. Since I saw no Trainers in sight until that last one, I unclipped the bracelet from my wrist and offered it to Snivy who took it, pressed _On_, and snapped it on to her wrist, adjusting the metal arms so it could fit snugly on her. She was still on my hat and Lily was in my bag, both too lazy to walk.

"_This is really cool!" _Snivy's voice rang.

"Glad you like it. I'm working on the second one, for Lily. I started last night, but haven't gotten far yet," I said. Lily barked in happiness.

"_When do you think it'll be done_?" Snivy asked, voicing Lily's question.

"Hopefully, soon," I answered. It was nice to talk to my Pokémon. It made me happy with excitement. What I had done was a breakthrough in history, and yet, couldn't bring myself to tell anyone yet. Not even to the guy who made me mad by saying it was a shame that I couldn't hear and understand Pokémon. Right now, it was a secret between me and my Pokémon.

"_What did you think about that guy?_" Snivy questioned. I sighed and gave a little shrug.

"He kind of freaked me out, a little," I said. Snivy paused in thought.

"_He freaked me out, too. It was weird to have someone understand me, besides you of course_," she said. I nodded.

"I understand. I think it's cool though, being able to hear and understand Pokémon. What did you tell him anyway?"

Snivy didn't answer right away. It seemed like she was wording out everything in her head, what to say to me and what not to say to me. Did she tell him the wrong thing, or did she say something she wasn't supposed to say?

"_I told him how I felt about Liberation…"_ she said quietly. I slowed my walk. There had to be more she had told him, but I didn't press her. I just asked her about what she said.

"What'd you tell him about it?" I asked.

"_I told him Liberation was a cruel and an evil thing to do, to separate Pokémon and humans from one another. I told him how Pokémon would feel if they were separated from their Trainers. We would be lonely, never happy again, with no spark to make us put one foot in front of themother. We would be dead without our Trainers. Not dead _dead_, but dead as in empty, soulless, hollow,_" she said quietly. Her words sent a surge from my body. It made me realize the true bond between Pokémon and us humans. If anything, her words made me more against the act of Liberation. I agreed with her.

"Humans and Trainers would feel the same way. We would be dead, too. There would be no happiness," I said softly. I felt movement on my head; did she nod along with my words? She did.

The path was becoming more stable and more flat with less tall grass. There was an opening in the trees and I saw Striaton City. I smiled to myself, Lily barking in excitement. I quieted her down and made sure Snivy turned off the device as she handed it to me. I snapped it on my wrist, readjusting the metal arms so it would fit. I jogged to the city, my bag bumping against my hip while Snivy held onto my hat, clenching. As soon as my foot hit the pavement of the city, I heard my name being called.

"BLAISE!" a voice yelled. I spun around, seeing Bianca.

"Bianca?" I asked. I saw her rush toward me, wheezing a bit. I laughed.

"Bianca, didn't you leave before I did?" I asked her, a smile playing on my lips.

She took a breath, trying to get her breath back.

"I left something at Grandma's and I had to go run and get it back, not to mention the pesky kids on Route 2 that just begged and begged for a battle and I couldn't say no and thank _Zekrom_ I beat them all except there was this one kid who almost beat me but Oshawott got them in the end and oh, my. When I saw you I started running and you were fast! And you were only jogging! And, ug, my feet hurt," Bianca complained. I laughed at her. She smiled and wheezed for another breath. She held her Oshawott and it seemed happy, winning all its battles.

"Are you going to challenge the Gym?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I'm looking for another area to battle before I fight him or her," I answered.

"It's a _him_. Cheren told me," she said. I raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed.

"Told you?" I questioned.

"Mmhm. He called me on the Xtransceiver," she answered.

"Huh…" I said. Bianca blushed harder.

"It was probably nothing that he told me. I bet he'll call you, too" she said. On cue, I got a call from Cheren. I pressed the _TALK_ button, Cheren's face taking up half of the screen, mine taking up the other half.

"Cheren? Why the call?" I asked, even though I already knew what he was calling me for.

"Hey, Blaise! Where are you?" he asked through the screen.

"I'm at the entrance of Striaton City. You?" I asked

"I'm at the entrance of the Gym. There's also this nice guy named Clyde and he'll be giving you a bottle of water."

"Is Clyde the Gym Leader?" I asked, confused. Cheren laughed.

"No, he's just this nice guy who helps you when you're fighting any Gym Leader."

"Oh, then who's Gym Leader?"

"It depends on who you'll be fighting."

"Excuse me?" Now I was really confused.

"Well, there are three Gym Leaders in the Gym. Their brothers."

"_What? Does that mean I'll have to fight all of them?"_ I yelled, shocked. He laughed again.

"No, unless you request for it, I think."

"You _think_?"

"Geez, Blaise. Stop badgering me. I haven't even fought any of them yet."

"Sorry. Ok, thanks for telling me what you know. Good luck!"

"I don't need luck," he said cockily. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." He laughed and I smiled.

"Bye, Cheren."

"Bye, Blaise."

I hung up and turned to Bianca. I sighed.

"Cheren's at the Gym."

"I know. He's probably going to be in there for a long time. I'm thinking he'll challenge all three of them," Bianca said. We laughed

"That's Cheren for you, always pushing for the extra mile." Bianca nodded in agreement, and then pressed her lips.

"Blaise, if it's not too much to ask, can we have a quick battle? Pretty please?" She smiled big, practically begging for a battle. I smiled back at her and shrugged.

"Sure, why not? Besides, the kids on Route 2 were kinda weak. I need somebody on my level," I said. Bianca practically jumped up and down. She rushed over to me to give me a hug and ran a few yards away, giving space for the battle. She threw a Pokéball in the air, a flash of white blinding us momentarily as a Patrat cried out and landed on its feet. I looked down at my bag, scratching lily behind her ears.

"Your battle," I said to her. She barked in happiness and jumped immediately out of my pink bag, trotting to her spot. Once in position, I started the battle.

"Lily! Let's go! Use _Leer_!" Lily raced to Patrat and glared at it. Patrat, a bit slow, didn't do anything, just back down a little, scared.

"Come on, Patrat! Use _Tackle_!" Bianca yelled. I was quick to react. If there's one thing I've learn, it's to be quick.

"Lily, avoid it and use _Tackle_!" I yelled to her. Patrat ran with great speed, and I watched as Lily barely missed it and strucked Patrat, using her whole body to tackle Patrat. Patrat, caught by surprise, rolled in the grass, already half weak. Another move would probably make it faint. I crossed my fingers.

"Patrat, use _Tackle_!" Bianca yelled. Patrat rushed to Lily again.

"Avoid it!" I yelled, but it seemed like Patrat had gotten faster, and it smacked into Lily. I watched as Lily rolled on the ground, crossing my fingers she was okay. She was, but I guessed if Patrat hits her two more times, she would be down for good. I clenched my jaw, urging Lily to be prepared and alert for the next attack.

"Lily! Come girl, you almost got him! Use _Tackle_! And put a lot of force into it!" I yelled. Lily growled and ran to Patrat, running quickly while Patrat was trying to regain its composure of itself. Lily had strucked Patrat in the stomach and I saw as the Patrat was knocked backwards, wheezing for breath and fainting. I felt like shouting in happiness, but the battle wasn't over yet. Bianca took out a Pokéball and returned Patrat to it. Lily trotted to me and barked as I scratched her behind her ears. I bent down.

"You were good, Lily!" I said. She barked again.

"You ready, Snivy? This one is all yours," I said to Snivy. Snivy cried out and jumped off my head, landing on the ground with a soft _thud_ and stepping a few feet in front of me. I watched as Bianca gave a little encouragement to her Oshawott. It seemed like it was a very good talk, her Oshawott racing quickly in front of her, ready and determined. Bianca was the first to begin.

"Let's go Oshawott! Use _Water Gun!_" Oshawott shuddered in excitement and I watched as water was beamed at Snivy, the water coming to her quick and hard. The move was unavoidable and I watched sadly as Snivy was slammed by the water. Snivy fell on her front, pushing herself back up with her arms. She stood up again and I cried out in glee as Snivy looked almost unaffected by the attack. Almost.

She looked a bit weakened, but nothing too serious. I smiled to myself, preparing for my attack.

"Snivy! Come on! _Vine Whip_!" Snivy cried out and I saw the vines coming out, whipping and lashing at Oshawott. Oshawott avoided the first vine, but was hit when the second one came. Oshawott stumbled a few feet forward and winced at the pain in its back from the vines. Bianca frowned and chewed the insides of her cheeks, nervous.

"Come on, Oshawott! I know you can win this! Use _Water Gun_!"

Water was again coming at Snivy, unavoidable. She got hit by the water and tumbled on her back this time. Again, she lifted herself up, but this time, she looked half weakened that the first time she got hit. If Bianca chose that move again twice, I was done for.

"Snivy! You can do this! Use _Vine Whip_!" I watched again as vines retracted and were lashed out at Oshawott. Oshawott managed to avoid the first vine again but was strucked harder than the first time in the back by the second vine. I just had to use the attack just one more time! Bianca, realizing this could be the turning point of the battle, used a move I wasn't expecting.

"Oshawott! _Pound_!"

"Avoid it, Snivy!" I screamed.

Oshawott was racing to Snivy, a bit slower than it was at the beginning of the battle. Right as I saw Oshawott about to hit Snivy, Snivy veered out of the way at the last second.

"Use _Vine Whip_!" I yelled to Snivy. Oshawott was still running, trying to stop itself. And that was all I needed. The vines came out immediately, both vines striking Oshawott, with Oshawott not being able to see the vines since its back was turned. Oshawott cried out and fainted.

I smiled to myself and dropped to the ground.

Battles were _strenuous, _though exciting. Snivy raced to me and plopped down on my lap. Apparently, I wasn't the only one tired. Bianca came to me and plopped down right beside me.

"You win, again," she said. I smiled to her.

"But you almost got me, you should be proud of yourself."

"I am. Ha-ha, you're a tough cookie. I have to work harder on training my Pokémon so we won't lose anymore. I just don't get how my younger cousin can beat me," she said. I rolled my eyes.

"Geez, Bianca, I'm only a month younger than you," I said, laughter ringing in my voice. She smiled at me and began to dig in her bag, pulling out some cash. She gave it to me, only for half of it to be returned back to her. I stuffed the cash into my money pocket of my bag.

I leaned back onto my elbows and Snivy crawled back onto my hat. I tipped my face to the morning sun, closing my eyes, drinking in the sunlight.

"Bianca, what time is it?" I asked.

"Eleven o'clock. Come on, I need to head over to a PokéCenter," Bianca said, pushing herself back up. I did the same and the two of us entered Striaton City. It was a beautiful city, with stone steps leading up to the doors of houses. I looked at the city with awe, loving the scenery.

"Oh! Blaise! There's a Trainer School! I'm going to dash over there real quick and then go the PokéCenter! See ya!" Bianca threw me a quick hug and ran to a small building. I thought about checking it out later, but decided I wanted to become stronger before I had a Gym battle. I stopped a girl around my age.

"Excuse me, but, um, do you know an area where Trainers can become stronger?" She nodded and pointed to the east.

"Yeah, you should the check out the Dreamyard. It's an abandon factory and Trainers just love to hang out over there. But be careful, it's said to be haunted," she said kindly. I raised an eyebrow.

"Haunted?" I asked. She nodded again.

"Some people say that there's a Pokémon living there that steals yours dreams. But it's more inside the ruins of the factory; Trainers just usually hang around the edge of it."

"Oh, ok. Well, thank you," I said. The girl smiled.

"Any time."

I took a final glance at the city and went east of it. Just around the edge of the city, I saw the pavement break off and saw the trees part. The trees loomed heavily above me as I walked on the path, cries of other Pokémon echoing. I saw the building before I saw the Trainers. Trainers were fighting each other, happy and determined.

The building was in ruins. Stones laid everywhere and the building looked terrible. The stairs were still intact, but the second floor was blown off completely, so it looked like the stairs were attached to concrete planks. Through windows, you could see the tall grass that had grown in it and the fact that there was no ceiling at all confirmed the fact that someone had destroyed the building purposely, something like this couldn't happen as a mistake.

Already, Trainers saw me and a few were coming over for a battle.

"Ready to train?" I asked Snivy and Lily. Snivy cried out and Lily growled.

We were determined.

* * *

Two people with their Pokémon fought me excellently, but in the end, I had beaten them both. Lily and Snivy alternated, both becoming equally strong and stronger. Soon beating the Trainers, I wanted to explore the edge of the ruins a bit. Through windows I saw Pokémon and heard their cries and this small tree stood in my way as I tried to pass a door. I tried to slide between it and the space of the door, not fitting. I was close, getting half of my body through but couldn't get the rest of it in. I gave up and left the Dreamyard.

* * *

"Cheren! How was it!" I yelled as I reached the Gym Entrance, climbing up the three steps to meet Cheren at the door. He turned around and smiled at me. I smiled back. He held out a badge between his index finger and his thumb. It looked like three diamond shapes attached to each other with green, blue, and red crystals encrusted onto each diamond. He had beaten the Gym Leaders.

"Did you battle all of them?" I asked.

"No, I battled Cilan."

"Cilan?" I asked.

"He was a grass user. I battled the brother that was weakest against me," he said.

"Wow, Cheren. Wait, you can pick which one to battle?"

"Yeah, and uh, watch out, they're strong…and a bit weird."

"Weird how?"

He shook his head and laughed.

"You have to find that out for yourself," he said. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Hey, Blaise, where's Bianca?" he asked, concerned. I raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you ask?" I said, questioning him.

"I just want to know where she is. Why, I can't know where my best friend is?" he said nervously. I gasped.

"Oh, my _Reshiram_! You like—"

Cheren used his hand to cover up my mouth so the other word couldn't get through. I mumbled the last word again his hand so it sounded like: _Beeannkaah?_

"_Shut up, Blaise!_" he whispered-yelled. I began to giggle against his hand.

Once Cheren was sure that I was under control, he removed his hand and looked at my sternly through his glasses.

"I swear to _Zekrom_ that I will _kill _you if you tell anyone, especially if you tell Bianca," he told me, his face hardening. Instead of saying anything, I pinched my thumb and index finger together and ran them across my lips, turning my fingers a little, and flicking my hand over my shoulder, pretending to throw away a key. Cheren let out a breath and puffed his cheeks and looked at me, waiting for his answer to his first question.

"She's either at the Trainer School or maybe at the PokéCenter," I answered. He smiled thankfully at me.

"Thanks, Blaise," he said as he began to bound down the little steps.

"Anytime, Lover boy," I said, smirking. He turned around to glare at me.

"If I see that green-hair-guy again, N, I'll tell him you're interested," he smirked. I glared at him and stuck out my tongue. He left, chuckling. I rolled my eyes after him and entered the doors to the Gym. Immediately, a guy came up to me. He reached for my hand and shook it.

"Hello, miss. I'm Clyde," he said kindly, smiling.

"Blaise. Nice to meet you." I returned the smile.

"Wow, beautiful and kind. That's a mix you don't see every day. Nice to meet to you, too! I'm the guide for Trainers challenging Pokémon Gyms. Here, I'm going to give you this fresh water to venerate the occasion."

He handed me a water bottle and I took it, saying thank you and pocketing it into the medicine pocket.

"Just so you know, there are two waiters in here that might stop you for a quick battle before the big one. Just say yes, besides, the battles will make you stronger. I'm rooting for you!" he said, excitedly. I gave him another smile and thanked him for his advice. I walked through the Gym and was stopped by two trainers, a waiter named Maxwell and a waitress names Tia. Lily and Snivy ensured my victory. The three of us walked proud to a raised platform. As we sauntered up the steps, three men came out, all looking quite young. They looked excited that another Trainer was here to challenge one of them.

"Hi," I said, nervously.

"Hello!" they said together.

"Welcome to the Striaton Gym. This is my brother Cilan and Cress. My name is Chili," the one with the spiky red hair said.

"Each of us specializes in a certain type. I'm a grass user; Cress is a water user and Chili is a fire user," the one with the green hair said.

"And you're allowed to pick one of us to battle to obtain the Trio badge," said the brother with the silky-looking blue hair, which was Cress, I think.

"So, who do you think you will be battling?" they said in unison, which was kind of creepy. I chewed on my lower lip. I looked at the three. Would I be like Cheren and fight the weakest one against me?

No, I wouldn't. It would be like cheating. Fighting someone weaker than you doesn't make you better or stronger.

Or would I be like Bianca, picking someone of equal strength? It was true that she hasn't fought any of the 'Gym Brothers' yet, but I already knew she would pick Cress, since she had Oshawott and wanted to be equal in a battle.

Or would I be who I am, and fight someone stronger than me? Becoming strong by beating the strong?

I wasn't Cheren, fighting someone weaker.

And I wasn't like Bianca, fighting someone who's my equal.  
No, I was—am Blaise.

And I was going to battle—

"Chili. I want to battle Chili," I said nervously. I straightened up and tried to cast away any nervous feelings I had, I couldn't choke up in my first Gym battle. I took a deep breath as I watched Cilan nudge Chili.

"Your battle," he said to Chili. Chili turned to me.

"Is it your first battle? Are you traveling with that boy who came in earlier? What was his name? Cindy? Nope…uh, Cody? No, no….it was Sharon?" he asked. I let out a relaxed laugh. I was becoming less nervous by the second will the small conversation with my opponent.

"Cheren, yes, I'm traveling with him. Along with my cousin. And yeah, it's my first Gym Battle," I replied, smiling now with excitement. Chili had a look of confusion.

"This is going to be your first Gym Battle? Are you kidding me? You look way too experienced," he said. I blushed and straightened up quickly. No time for flirting.

"Thanks! Don't hold anything back," I smirked at him. He smirked back.

"Don't worry, I won't." He began to step away, leaving yards of space between us for our Pokémon. I studied the area. Craggy rocks were everywhere, which was good, at least, for protection…and hiding.

I saw a flash of light on the other side and saw two Pokémon, side by side. There was a Lillipup like Lily, although it was a male, I think and…I don't know. I pulled out my Pokédex and let it scan over the Pokémon that was unknown to me.

"_Pansear, the high temp Pokémon. Pansear lives in caves near volcanoes…" _the Pokédex started. I didn't listen to the rest; I was already starting to put it away so the battle could begin. Chili began to speak again.

"Here are your opponents. Lillipup will be going first and Pansear will follow after if Lillipup faints. _If._" He was taunting me now. I observed my enemies. I watched as they danced and swayed a bit. From their moments, I could tell they weren't strong in speed, an advantage point for me with Snivy and Lily. I couldn't let Pansear fight Snivy. He'd incinerate her before she could use _Vine Whip _or even _Tackle._

At last everything was drawn out in my head. My strategy was complete. It would be Snivy vs. Lillipup and then I would withdraw Snivy and replace her with Lily and let Lily fight Pansear. And since both of his two Pokémon looked like they lacked speed, I'd have the upper hand.

I could have a chance.

I could win the Gym Badge.

Snivy and Lily stood on both sides of me. I knelt down so I could give them a play by play of how this was going to work out. I glanced over at Chili and saw him doing the same. I returned my attention to my Pokémon.

"Ok, listen, Snivy, you'll be going first. I've been watching his Pokémon and they look weak in speed. You'll both have an advantage there. The thing is to run and avoid if they attack. Take cover behind large boulders if you have to. Lily, if we win the first round, you'll be going next against Pansear. Got it? Remember, guys, avoid attacks and strike when unexpected. Understand?" I said, rallying them up. _Oh, help me, Reshiram! Please let me win!_ I thought. I really wish I could talk to my Pokémon right now, but I couldn't. Now with so many people around. Man, I was going to have to add a volume button on the prototype so I could lower their voices and make it less suspicious that they could talk to me and so others couldn't hear my Pokémon.

My Pokémon nodded to me. I looked at them and observed them. I chewed on the inside of my cheeks, thinking about something last minute to make them a bit stronger for this upcoming battle. I pondered for a few seconds more, finally realizing something that could help. I searched my bag for medicine items and found that water battle Clyde had given me. I unscrewed the top and gave it to Snivy who took a few gulps and gave it back to me so I could waterfall it to Lily's mouth. With half the water left in the water bottle, I sipped a little of it and returned it to my bag. I had a feeling I would need it again after the battle. I felt refreshed and Snivy and Lily looked lively and ready, taking their stances beside me. I stood up and watched closely as Chili did the same. He stood proud and tall, confident he was going to win.

"You can do it, Chili!" a random voice cried out from the second floor. I shot my head up to the left. Random fan girls of Chili waved their pom-poms, little ball of red flashing and shaking furiously. I scoffed.

"Stupid fan-girls," I muttered under my breath. They could be a real distraction with their high-pitched squeals and yelling and desire for Chili. Chili glanced up at them, gave a pearly smile, flicked his hand as a thank you or a wave, and returned to the battle. I heard girls giggle and swoon at his smile and gesture he gave them.

"This battle is sure to become flavorful," he commented.

_Huh?_

"You can beat that stupid brunette!" a blonde cheerleader cried out. I had a strong urge to flick my own hand at them, but unlike Chili's, mine would be a fist with a certain finger poking out.

Chili paid them no attention and focused on Snivy, who was, at the moment, taking her place in the rock stage meant for battles. His Lillipup was doing the same. Chili's and my eyes were locked, our goal clear as water.

_Defeat your opponent. _

"Snivy! Use _Vine Whip_!" I cried out first, breaking our locked gaze. Snivy bounced on a few rocks to get to her opponent, finally picking one close enough to Chili's Lillipup. Vines began to come out, ready to strike.

"Avoid!" Chili cried out!

His Lillipup tried to run behind a large enough boulder to shield itself. When it dash to one, I feared Snivy's vines would just hit the rock. I clenched my hands.

Suddenly, at the last second, Snivy dashed to another rock with view of Lillipup and her vines maneuvered around the rock, both vines striking our opponent. I heard Chili's Lillipup cry out. I smiled to myself. If Snivy kept this us, she was going to win the battle.

Snivy's vines retracted and she perched on a different rock, away from Lillipup and its incoming attack.

"Nice one, Blaise! I have to say, your strategy is full of spice. But it's very predictable," he commented. Gee, his _waiter talk_ was a bit weird. I guess that was what Cheren was talking about.

"Predicable?" I asked. What he trying to make me angry or something?

"Yes, kind of boring actually. And you're trying to use a grass Pokémon against a fire user."

I clenched my hands tighter. First, he was praising me and now he was saying that Snivy is _predictable _and_ boring_?

"Your Lillipup is boring! Besides, it's a Normal Pokémon whereas Snivy's a Grass Type," I yelled, angry now.

"You're quite right, Blaise. But Normal Type Pokémon can use moves similar to any type, including fire-related. You're destined to lose the battle," he said, smiling. His fan girls squealed.

"You're _totally_ going to win, Chili!" they screamed. If I win this battle, I'm _totally_ going to flick them the finger.

"I know," Chili said confidently to the screaming fan girls.

"Make him bite back his words, Snivy!" I yelled. She growled at Chili as he began his first attack.

"Lillipup, use _Work Up_!" he yelled.

"_Work up?"_ I said.

An orangey glow surrounded his Lillipup.

"What does it do?" I questioned.

"It makes your Pokémon's attacks stronger," Cilan said for Chili to me.

Shit.

I bit my lower lip as the glow began to slowly fade away. Before it faded away completely, I commanded Snivy for her next attack.

"Snivy! Come on, girl! Use _Tackle_!"

I considered Chili's words carefully. A grass user was no match for a fire user. But would a normal attack against a normal Pokémon who's leader is a fire user work? I could only hope and see if it worked or did better or less damage than a grass move. Snivy hopped from boulder to boulder, building up speed for her attack against Lillipup. Lillipup stood still, the glow almost gone, it was distracted. I crossed my fingers. I urged Lillipup to stand still so Snivy could hit it squarely. Snivy launched her body roughly off the boulder near Lillipup, getting ready to smack her whole body against Lillipup. She was getting nearer. Six feet…five...four…three—

"Avoid it!" Chili yelled at the last second. His Lillipup quickly hopped a few feet out of its previous spot and I watched as Snivy tried to stop herself in the air, skidding in the dirt before her body smacked into the boulder.

"Snivy!" I cried out, worried. Lily barked in concern. Snivy grunted and pushed herself up, swaying on her feet.

"Are you alright?" I cried out to her. She turned her head slightly towards me and gave a small nod. I pressed my lips together and nodded back. Snivy hopped and sped, boulders to boulders, watching her opponent.

"Like I said, you're _predictable_. Lillipup, _Work Up_!" he said. The orange glow returned.

It was getting stronger.

I had to do something before the glow faded.

"Snivy, come on girl! I know we can win this! Use _Tackle_!" I cried out. Snivy wanted to win; I could tell by the way she was racing to Lillipup to attack it. The glow began to fade away and Snivy was only a few feet away. She launched her body into the air with her momentum and charged at Lillipup. The glow was almost gone. Come on, Snivy!

"Lillipup! Avoid—"

Lillipup's bark of pain howled in the Gym, drowning out Chili's command. Puffs of smoke faded and I saw that Snivy had pinned it against a rock with her own body, doubling the damage. I smiled and jump with Lily running in circles around me.

"Whoa! Go, Snivy!" I praised, Lily barking beside me. The cheerleaders on the other floor wailed.

"Chili! Lillipup! Come on! You have to win!" they cried out, waving their pom-poms ferociously.

Lillipup gathered itself and roughly tried to stand up, all four legs shaking. It grimaced and Snivy pushed her chest out, smiling proudly.

Man, Lillipup was strong.

"Lillipup! Use _Tackle_!" Chili pushed; obvious he didn't want to lose to someone like me. Lillipup growled at Snivy and ran toward her. He bounced boulder to boulder to Snivy; he was getting closer to her.

"Snivy! Dodge it and use _Tackle_!" I yelled. As Lillipup neared Snivy, she prepared to sidestep and attack.

But the both of us missed something.

She was cornered by three large boulders.

Lillipup launched himself across the space in front of Snivy, and before Snivy could realize she could jump to avoid the attack, she got slammed into the boulder behind her as Chili's Lillipup smashed into her. I heard her cry out.

"Snivy!" I yelled. She cried out again.

"Snivy! Come on! You're so close! You can do this!" I bit my lip and I tasted the faint tang of copper. Snivy tried to push herself up, using one of the boulders to pull herself up. She looked battered and bruised. I heard gasps coming from the side of me.

"That attack should have made Snivy faint!" Cress shouted. Chili stared in awe at Snivy, wide-eyed. She was now perched on a boulder, shaking a bit but determined. I blinked back tears. Snivy wasn't going to give up. She looked at me and we stared at each other. We smiled to each other.

For a moment, I wished that long-haired green guy N was here.

Just so I could rub in his face how much Trainer and Pokémon needed each other and the bond between them, the closeness and determination to endure anything thrown in their way.

"Snivy, come on, girl! Give it your all! _Tackle_ Lillipup!"

For a second, I felt like I was seeing through Snivy's eyes. Racing through the maze of rocks between me and my enemy. I saw my enemy run, taking sharp turns away from me. I veered left and caught up with my enemy, smacking my body against it against a rock as it did to Snivy. I felt the force of the attack, my weakened state at my final move and watching my enemy cry out and faint.

After Lillipup's final cry, all was silent. No ferocious shaking of pom-poms or the sounds of the murmurs and gasps. Cilan broke the silence.

"Chili's Lillipup is unable to battle! Blaise's Snivy wins the first round!"

All I heard for a few seconds was heavy breathing. And then I heard—

"WOOOOOAAAHHH! GO, BLAISE!" a blonde cheerleader screamed through the Gym. My head snapped to her. She waved her hands frantically. This cheerleader was cheering me on, only she wasn't a cheerleader with pom-poms, she was a cheerleader who was wearing a white and green beret who I knew as—

"Bianca! Be quiet! Everyone is staring at you!" Cheren whispered to Bianca, pulling down her hands. Bianca blushed and pulled back her hands to herself, pinning down her arms to her side.

I laughed at Bianca as a tired Snivy came to me. I picked her up and squashed her against my body, jumping up and down.

"You were so awesome, Snivy! You were unbelievable! I'm so proud of you!" I praised. She smiled at me and rested in my arms as a flash of white sparked in the corner of my eye.

"You were good, Lillipup. Return." Chili said. He put the Pokéball in his pant pocket. Chili smiled at me.

"I guess your Snivy wasn't as predicable and boring as I thought," he commented.

_Damn right_, I thought.

"I know," I said.

"I apologize, but I should warn you, I'm the strongest of my brothers and Pansear is my strongest Pokémon. He's going to incinerate this battle."

_Oh, dearest Reshiram, I beg you to help this ego-manic with his problems. Please remind his that being overly confident can hurt him when he loses. I beg you to help my opponent in future battles and make him less of an ego-manic that he already is. Amen,_ I prayed, laughing at myself at the end of my thoughts.

I looked down at Lily.

"Your turn to shine," I said to her. She barked merrily and made her way to the rock stage. Pansear did the same.

"Time to play with fire!" he yelled,

_Time for you to lose_, I thought.

"Lily! Use—"

"Chili! Pansear! Chili! Pansear! You can do it! Win! Win! Win! You can win! Beat that dumb brunette!" the cheerleaders chanted, interrupting me. My hand was slowly rising up and the middle finger was just about to poke out when Bianca yelled at them.

"Oh, dear Zekrom! Shut up! Can't you see all of you are interrupting an important battle! Here, let me show you how annoying you guys are! Give me that!" Bianca yelled, snatching two pom-poms from a red-head cheerleader. She went back to Cheren and started to cheer for me, waving the red, glittery pom-poms crazily.

"Whoaaa! GO BLAISE! You can do it! Beat that ego-maniac!" she yelled. I was laughing now. Cheren face-palmed his forehead, shaking his head back and forth, embarrassed by Bianca, but smiling and chuckling behind his hand. The cheerleaders were silenced by Bianca and I sent a silent thank you to her. She nodded back, smiling widely and giving two thumbs up. Cheren did the same. I turned to Chili again. He began to open his mouth but I was quicker.

"Lily! _Tackle_!" I yelled. Lily ran quickly to Pansear, dodging the rocks in her way.

"Avoid it and use _Incinerate_!" he yelled to his Pansear. Pansear narrowly missed Lily's attack, his skin and her fur only brushing lightly. Lily skidded to a halt and turned around to face Pansear. He opened his mouth to show the fire building up and shot it at Lily. She dodged the fire without me telling her to, finding shelter behind a rock.

"Pansear! _Work Up_!" Chili cried out.

Geez, I hate that move, it was going to make _Incinerate_ stronger.

"Lily, now! While its distracted! Use _Bite_!" I cried out! Lily jumped from her hiding spot. The orangey glow was almost gone. She jumped and landed on Pansear, getting a firm lock on his arm. For a second, Pansear didn't move, surprised. Then it howled, flailing its arm as it tried to get Lily off of his arm.

I think I saw Lily grin behind her bite.

"Smash her against a rock if she's not letting go!" Chili cried out, anxious of my Lily to get off of his Pansear. I wasn't quick enough to tell Lily to let go, Pansear had found a boulder around his size and smacked his arm against it, a faint cry coming from Lily.

"_Incinerate_, Pansear!" Chili cried out.

"Roll out of the way!" I yelled to Lily.

Fire was gathering in Pansear's mouth and he shot it toward Lily. Lily rolled away from Pansear.

"_Tackle_ him!" I yelled.

Lily lunged at him and smacked herself into him, making him skid along the dirt. Pansear smacked his head against a boulder and doubled over, rubbing his hurt head like crazy. He was weakened!

I saw the cheerleaders' pom-poms twitch. They had an urge to scream out and give supporting words to Chili and Pansear and say rude things about me. The only thing stopping them was Bianca, who was glaring at them, a threat that if they spoke she would go in a rage and tell them to shut up.  
"Pansear! _Work up_!" Chili yelled. The orange glow shimmered around Pansear's body.

"_Bite_ him!" I yelled. Lily was close to him. She lunged at him but he step-sided and she slid past him, missing his arm. At the speed she was going, she was sliding fast into a rock. But before completely passing him, she saw his tail and craned her neck to get her teeth around it. She bit hard and I saw that same silly smile behind her bite that made me want to laugh. The orange glow instantly disappeared as Pansear lost his concentration, howling like he did the first time. He groped behind him for his tail, clutching it with both hands. He shook his tail roughly, trying to get Lily off of him.

"Use _Incinerate_!" Chili yelled. Pansear gave a surprise look to his Trainer as if saying: _on my tail? _

But Pansear obeyed, the fire building up in his mouth. Lily clenched harder and instead of the fire being spit out, he choked on it and smoke came out and a few sparks. A spark had got caught in Lily's fur and burned her. She cried out and let go, flinging herself away from Pansear. She held one paw up, bent at the joint, depending on her other three legs and paws. I glanced at Pansear. The bite had really weakened him.

"Lily! Come on, girl! You got this! Use tackle! Put all your strength into it!"

Lily winced and began to run speedily towards Pansear as she tried not to put pressure on her injured paw. Pansear was clenching his tail, which was smoking lightly. Apparently, Pansear had burned itself with his sparks. He was distracted.

"Pansear! Quit messing with your tail and get out of the way!"

The cheerleaders began to shriek for Pansear, screaming for him to avoid the move.

"I told you guys to be quiet!" Bianca yelled, throwing a pom-pom at a blonde's head. The pom-pom bounced off the girl's head with a_ conk_.

"_Ow_!" the blonde screamed at her, high-pitched and whiny.

Pansear what about to avoid the move right when Bianca threw the pom-pom. I thought he was going to avoid it but when that high-pitched sound vibrated in the air; Pansear stopped and clutched his ears.

Lily growled in the direction of the blonde and seeing Pansear distracted, threw her body against Pansear, making his backside skid and bounce roughly on the rocky stage. Lily rolled away and I saw Pansear cry out. He tried to push himself up but that depleted the last of his energy as he collapsed, his eyes shutting close.

No sound was heard except for Lily's hard breathing. I dropped everything and ran to her, jumping over large rocks to get to her. When I was to her, I dropped down on my knees and embraced Lily, careful to avoid her burned paw. I hugged her tightly and grinned widely.

"Lily, you were amazing! We won! We won our first Gym Badge!" I cried out to Snivy and Lily. They cried out along with me and hugged me back.

"Woooo! Go Blaise!" Cheren and Bianca shouted out, after Bianca stuck out her tongue to the cheerleaders who scoffed at her and headed out.

People were approaching me. I stood up and brushed the dirt from my knees and shorts. The three brothers approached me, all smiling. Chili seemed in a good mood after he just got his Pokémon's butt kicked. Cilan held something shiny out to me in a velvet cloth. It sparkled in the lights, red, green, and blue glimmering back at me.

"The Trio badge from Striaton City," Chili proclaimed as I took the badge from Cilan.

"Thank you," I said, looking at the badge in my head, smiling giddily and practically bubbly.

"You've earn it. I just don't understand," Chili started,

"How someone weaker than you can beat you?"I finished. He nodded. I shrugged.

"It's all about the bond between you and your Pokémon," I said. Ghetsis' speech echoed in my mind.

"We won't forget those words," Cress said silkily.

"Please don't," I added.

"We wish you many victories in your journey," Cilan said to me.

"Thank you," I said to all of them. They smiled and I smiled back as I fled from the rock stage and to my friends.

* * *

The three of us were sitting on the steps of the gym.

"You were amazing!" Bianca said to me. I blushed.

"Thank you!" I said.

"Hey, Cheren! You said that the Gym Leaders were weird," I told him.

"They _are _weird. When I was battling Cilan all he said was like, 'get ready to be served!' and 'your tactics are so bland' and 'you need extra spice to your attacks' and 'you Pokémon are about to be soft-served.'"

We let his words sink in and laughed.

"Geez, Cheren. Everyone has their hobbies," Bianca chided. I laughed again but my laughter was echoed out as all of our Xtransceivers went off. Simultaneously, we all pressed the _TALK_ button and watched as all of us took a portion of a screen split in four, the last box having Professor Juniper face on it.

"Hello!" She sang.

"Hi!" the three of us said back in unison.

"Are you all near each other?"

"We're actually sitting beside each other," Cheren said.

"Good! A friend of mine from college should be coming to meet you soon. Has anyone obtained the Trio badge yet?"

"Yes, me and Cheren. Bianca's next, she said she's going to battle Cress," I said. Bianca's face bobbed on the screen and in the corner of my eye.

"Yep."  
"Well, that's good. Anyways, she should see you guys any moment. I've asked her if she could give you all something for me. Good bye for now! Good luck Bianca!" Professor Juniper exclaimed, smiling happily. We smiled and said goodbyes while the screen went blank. I shut off the Xtransceiver and went back to glanced at Cheren. Lily was in his lap as Cheren was applying some type of ointment on her paw for the burn. I dug around in my bag and was looking for my first aid kid and found a white box full of potions and gauze and a few heals. Lily limped to me and I placed her in my lap, taking out the roll of gauze and gently wrapping it around her injured area. With that firmly in place I gave her a burn heal and tilted her head back so I could waterfall it down in her mouth.

She licked her snout, catching a few drops that got caught in her muzzle and collapsed in my lap, trying to fit a few seconds of rest before Juniper's friend came.

Snivy went through my bag, looking for something. She pulled a purple bottle from the medicine case and drank half of it, healing herself from her own battle. She screwed back on the top and rested on my cap, breathing peacefully.

"Geez, just watching the Pokémon taking a nap makes me want a nap," Bianca yawned. I nodded.

"They deserve the rest though. I'm really proud of them," I said, scratching Lily behind her ears softly.

"You should be. They fought really well against Chili's Pokémon," Cheren commented.

"I think he and his Pokémon had a bit of an ego issue," I said.

"They cheerleaders did too if you ask me," Bianca added, snickering at the end of her words.

"I just can't believe you threw a pom-pom at that one girl," I said.

"I think she was the most annoying of all of them," Bianca said. I laughed and Bianca giggled with me. And suddenly we stopped.

There was a young woman in front of us with onyx hair that fell to her calf. She pinned a side of her hair up with a purple and pink flower pin and wore half, black rectangular glasses. She had a smiling face and a lab coat on with a pink shirt underneath and pink flats.

"Let me guess—" she said, pointing a finger at Cheren," you're Cheren. You're Bianca—"now pointing to Bianca, and ended her finger movement with me," and you're Blaise. Right?" she asked. We all nodded.

"I'm Fennel. A college friend of Juniper. Ha-ha, she asked me to give you guys a gift. Here you go!" she said as she passed out a thumb drive to each of us. Each of us stood up to receive our little thumb drive.

"Connect it to your phones and let the app download. But do it later, not right now. You see, I'm a scientist and I'm researching the subject of Trainers. You're going to meet all Pokémon of the Unova region, right? Of course you are! Well, Juniper asked me if I could help you guys and I said yes. And here's some advice: after you beat you're first Gym Battle you're Pokémon can become stronger and use a certain type of move. It's called Cut and you can cut small trees down. And speaking of research and cutting small trees, I need all of your help with something…" she began. Fennel talked a lot. We all nodded to see what we could do to help.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

* * *

A/N: Hello! Ok, originally, this chapter was supposed to be a lot, lot, lot, longer but it felt like I was going to cram too much into one chapter so I decided to let the ending hang. Are my chapters too long? I can cut them shorter if you guys like. I just want to make my readers happy! :'( I really hope you guys liked this chappie. There was no N, I know. But I'm going to make up for that in the…let me think for a moment…*mutters to self and thinks*…in the fifth chapter! Ok? I love you all and another thanks to my reviewers and subscribers and my alerters and my favoriters. Lurve you all! Mwah!

~NiNi


	4. Team Plasma in a Dream within Dream Mist

A/N: Hello followers of Blaise and N and Cheren and Bianca and other characters! Here's the fourth chapter everyone deserves to read and enjoy. I hope you guys enjoy reading it like I enjoy writing it. Now, here are the shout-outs:

Shout-outs to:

Casamora-thanks for reviews! I don't know if people like shorter chapters, I just thought mine were too long and people wanted a break from the long chapters I write. She does plan on marketing it, but that won't be until the _end _of this whole story thing. Right now, she just wants to keep it as secret as possible.

Yamiroo Alice-thanks for the thumb up! Hope you enjoy the update!

Kaminariyoru-thanks for the _yay! _:) You're welcome for updating, here's the newest update!

Casie200- thank you for saying you love my story and calling it totally awesome! I will keep writing, for some reason, I enjoy writing this one more than the others.

TheStarsAbove-I hope its fun to read, otherwise I wouldn't be sure about continuing it! :) The other posts will be coming soon, hopefully now that I have more time to write it now that school is out!

For everyone else including favorite-ers and subscribers- thanks for reading and loving this! You guys are my motivation for continuing this! I loves you guys muchos!

* * *

Team Plasma In A Dream Within Dream Mist

"Ok, so let me get this straight. You want us to explore the ruins of the Dreamyard near the outskirts of this city to obtain some of this 'Dream Mist' for your research that this Pokémon Munna and Musharna give off, right?" Cheren asked Fennel. She nodded eagerly. Cheren ran his fingers through his hair, puffing his cheeks. He really didn't want to waste the daylight searching for something that somebody else needed.

The four of us, Bianca, Fennel, Cheren, and I were all in Fennel's house. We gathered around her desk in her room and listened intently to Fennel and her…request.

"Can you give us a minute?" I asked Fennel, she nodded reluctantly and bounded downstairs to let us make a decision.

"Come on, Cheren! That's Professor Juniper's friend, the woman who gave us each a Pokémon! The least we could do is help her out in her research," I said. Bianca nodded alongside me. Cheren gave a sigh.

"I guess, but I have a really bad feeling about this and I told my aunt and uncle we'd be at their house around eight-ish," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Why so punctual? Beside, this is an area where we can register more Pokémon in our Pokédex!" I said.

"And I could probably become stronger there, too! I need all the strength I can get before I fight my first Gym Battle," Bianca added. Cheren gave another sigh and shrugged.

"I guess we can see what we can do to help," he said slowly.

"Yay!" I exclaimed. Bianca smiled.

We heard Fennel climb back up the stairs and back into her room.

"So you guys will do it?" she asked. I nodded and she clasped her hands together, smiling widely.

"Thank you very much! I'll be here, waiting for you guys to come back," she said kindly. The three of us bounded out of the house and I led the two to the Dreamyard.

* * *

"This shouldn't be called the Dreamyard," Cheren said.

"Then what should it be called?" Bianca asked.

"The _Dump yard_," he answered.

I stifled a giggle. He was right, of course. The area was still the same as it was an hour ago, duh, with its large rocks speckled everywhere. There weren't any trainers here, as there was when I came here earlier. It was deserted.

I frowned.

"Why isn't anyone here?" I asked.

"Can't you feel that?" Bianca shivered.

"What? Can't feel what?" I asked.

"Like something bad is about to happen…"she said slowly. Bianca was always super attuned to stuff, so I took her word for it. I glanced at Cheren, he shrugged but he knew better to deny whatever Bianca was feeling.

"If you _think_ something bad is about to happen—"

"I _know_ something bad is about to happen," Bianca interrupted,

"Then let's spilt up, you with Blaise examining the inside of the building, and I'll examine the edges of the ruins," Cheren continued.

I nodded, but forgot something.

"There's a tree in the doorway to the inside of the building," I said. Cheren frowned and then laughed. I crossed my arms, about to bite some words.

"Don't you remember? We got it covered. Fennel taught us that move, remember?"

"_Cut_?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied, biting his tongue to keep from laughing in my face about my forgetfulness. I uncrossed my arms and turned away from Cheren before I said something rudely funny to someone who was practically my brother. I rolled my eyes as he gave a small laughter as Bianca followed me to the doorway of the ruins. When we saw the tree that blocked me from entering the first time, I had a thought. What if someone planted the tree on purpose? To prevent people like me, Cheren, and Bianca from entering? From snooping?

I curled my hands and bit my lip. I felt a precaution to entering, thinking that we shouldn't be here.

"Are you feeling it too, Blaise?" Bianca asked. The spring wind blew softly and slowly, giving me goose bumps. It blew softly at our hair as the leaves of the tree rustled.

"Sort of," I replied. Snivy cried out softly as she jumped off me, landing with a soft thud in front of the tree. She gazed at it, looking annoyed.

"Snivy? Can you use _cut_, please?" I asked. She looked at me and smiled, happy to do it. She locked her eyes on the tree blocking the entrance. She cried out as she hurdled toward the tree and sliced it in half, the taller part of the tree falling to the ground as the leaves rustled angrily in the wind. I took Snivy in my arms as she chose this time to hang over my shoulders. I shuffled my bag with Lily in it to the other side of the tree as Bianca and I squeezed in between what remained of the tree and the doorway.

Once on the other side of the door, Bianca straightened up with Oshawott in her arms. We walked around the ruins where the tall grass didn't populate.

"I wonder how showing Dreams work…" Bianca wondered aloud.

"You mean, like, how other people can see it?" I questioned.

She nodded.

"I'm guessing it's either a life size projection or like something similar to a TV box where you can watch it…"I said slowly.

"Yeah, something like that," Bianca agreed as we dodge some grass and walked around a wall.

Something all of a sudden cried out.

We jumped as we slid back behind a wall. "Did you hear that sound coming from the other side?" Bianca whispered, her bright green eyes startled. I nodded quietly. "Come on, we should go see what it is," I replied. I put my back as close to the wall as I could so whatever was on the other side couldn't see me. Snivy held on to my shoulder as we rounded the corner quickly, running to the clearing with no ceiling intact. Bianca stood beside me, holding her Oshawott close.

"_Oshaaa_?" Bianca's Oshawott cried out, confused. Snivy shook her head at Oshawott.

"Did we imagine the noise?" Bianca asked as the light brightened above us as a cloud moved out of the sun's way.

"We couldn't have," I said, gazing around to all sides of me.

Something pink and purple caught the side of my vision. I turned around slightly, careful not to startle anything.

A pink Pokémon with purple flowers that looked like it was drawn into it floated elegantly toward the two of us. It was two yards away and it panted hard, like it was running away from something. It looked about two feet tall and its red eyes gazed into our. Bianca and I simultaneously pulled out our Pokédex, scanning the Pokémon.

"_Munna, the Dream Eater Pokémon. Munna floats in the air. People whose dreams are eaten by them forget what the dreams had been about. It is said that the Pokémon produced Dream Mist," _our Pokédex chimed.

"It's Munna," I breathed.

"Muunnnaa!" Munna cried out worriedly, turning around to see whatever was still chasing it. Munna tried to float toward me and Bianca but was cornered on two sides. I knew who they were; they were at the speech in Accumula Town. It was—

"Team Plasma," Bianca breathed.

One of the two who were holding down Munna gave Bianca and me a nasty look. Returning back to Munna, a grunt shook Munna roughly.

"We finally found you! Did you think you could escape? Come on and make some Dream Mist!" the grunt yelled at Munna. I was horrified.

"Huh? It's you guys! What are you doing?" Bianca yelled. My breathing quickened. This was abuse! How could a Team who made others think they were for the good, abuse Pokémon? They were lying!

The two grunts looked at us, remembering that we were there.

"Are you talking to us?" they asked.

What dumbasses.

"In case you forgot, we're Team Plasma. We battle all day and night to liberate Pokémon from you foolish humans!" they said in unison.

Did they forget that they were humans too?

"But what are you doing?" I yelled. I was angry now.

"What are we doing? The Pokémon Munna and Musharna secrete a mystifying vapor called Dream Mist, which shows people's dreams. We're going to make people want to release their Pokémon with that!" the guy cried out to us. The girl smacked the back of his head.

"Why are you telling them that?" she yelled at him. Bianca looked horrified.

"You mean you're going to twist people's dreams to make them _give up_ their Pokémon?" she gasped.

"_Liberate,_ not _give up_!" the girl snarled.

"We'll show them dreams to manipulate their hearts," the boy grunt smirked. He turned back to Munna and _kicked _it.

"Come on! Spit it out! Spit out the Dream Mist!"

I gasped and Bianca yelled.

"What the hell are you doing? That's unforgivable!"

"Aren't you guys Trainers, too, right?" I questioned as Bianca and I took a few feet forward toward Munna.

"Right. We're Trainers too, but we're fighting for a different reason. Unlike you two, we're fighting for the freedom of Pokémon! And setting them free means that we win battles and take Pokémon by force! So on that note, we're going to rescue your Pokémon from you!" the guy yelled out.

"Sniivvyyy?" Snivy cried out in outrage.

"What?" I cried out just like Snivy.

The grunt tossed up a ball in the air, the air flashing as a Pokémon coming out of its ball cried out.

"Don't hurt Blaise!" Bianca screamed at the Plasma Grunts.

"'Don't hurt, Blaise?' Why? You should look out for yourself!" the girl grunt smirked, following the same movements as the other. I watched as immediately Bianca launched into her battle with the girl, her Oshawott's _Razor Shell_ slicing its opponent and knocking his enemy into the wall.

"You should concentrate on your own battle!" the guy yelled at me as his Patrat ran toward Snivy.

"Snivy! Use _Vine Whip_ and smash it to the wall!" I yelled to Snivy. Snivy's vine came out and griped Patrat's feet as it ran to her. With the support of the vines, Snivy hefted Patrat up and knock it into a crumbling wall. Dust wafted around Patrat as Snivy's vines retracted. Patrat tried to stand up, gripping the all. Instead, stones of the wall crumbled under Patrat's hand and it fell down again.

"_Tackle_!" I cried out. Snivy ran up to Patrat and pushed her body roughly against Patrat's. Patrat hit its body again against the crumbling wall and cried out. All of its strength lost. I glanced at Bianca and we shared the same thought and facial expression.

_That was easy. _

"I...I can't believe we lost!" the girl grunt screamed.

"Were you not taking us seriously 'cause we're kids?" I asked, a light smile playing behind my lips. The guy growled, but the girl smacked his head.

"We have to obtain the Dream mist, don't worry about _them_," the girl said, hatred for us in her words. The guy turned back to Munna.

"Come. On! _Make. Some. Dream. Mist_!" the guy shouted, each word a kick.

"Hey! KNOCK IT OFF!" Bianca and I yelled as we charged toward the twosome.

Right when we were two feet away, there was a flash. Not like a flash like when a Pokémon came out of its Pokéball, but a flash, like there was an explosion all around us.

Our eyes adjusted to the purple, illuminating, intoxicating, light as Bianca and I heard two gasps from the grunts. Standing on both sides of us was Ghetsis.

"What are you two doing goofing off?"

There was another flash.

There he was, now on the other side.

I looked at his previous spot.

THAT CREEP WAS ON BOTH SIDES OF US!

"We, Team Plasma, shall separate Pokémon from foolish people!" the look alike said.

"Ghetsis, you're twisted in the head! I knew you were planning something evil! Something like taking Pokémon away from Trainers—"

Another explosion of light interrupted me.

The two Ghetsis disappeared as another took his place behind the grunts.

"If you cannot fulfill your duties…" he began.

"T-This isn't what it looks like…" the grunts began to cry out, trying to apologize.

There was a last flash, stronger than the last ones and I felt the warmth all around me.

Ghetsis was gone.

I turned toward the grunts.

_W-were they shaking?_

"Was that Ghetsis when he is gathering followers…" one began.

"Or Ghetsis when he's trying to control people by tricking them with speeches?" the other continued. They seemed to have forgotten Munna.

"No, that must have been Ghetsis when a plan has failed and he was about to issue punishment…" the guy said.

"In that case, we should hurry it up and get over there to apologize so we're forgiven!" the girl exclaimed. We were all forgotten as they slithered past us and back to the entrance. Bianca and I stared after them, awestruck.

"What was that? Ghetsis appeared all over the place…" she said.

"T-that wasn't real, right?" I asked Bianca. No one could have been in three places at once.

There was a cry behind us. We turned back around toward Munna as it raced to another Pokémon. I got my Pokédex out again quickly.

"_Musharna, the Drowsing Pokémon and the evolved form of Munna. The Mist emanating from their foreheads is packed with the dreams of people and Pokémon_," it chimed.

Munna nuzzled its head against Musharna, words of comfort being shared.

"Is that Musharna, like, its mommy?" Bianca asked. I nodded.

The two floated toward us, as the both of us took small steps forward.

Munna raced to me and nuzzled its head against my cheek as it did the same to Bianca, saying words of gratitude to Snivy and Oshawott. Musharna then came to us, bowing its head as a thank-you. Bianca and I bowed our heads back with a smile. Musharna came closer and motioned to my bag.

_I forgot that I had _it_._

I rummaged in my bag looking in the Key Items pocket. There it was, a round, glass ball that could open if the button was pressed. Fennel had given it to me to put the Dream Mist in.

I snatched it and pressed the button to open the glass ball. I held it out to Musharna who approached it. Musharna produced the vapor, purple glittery mist emitting from Musharna's hole where the mist was produced.

The mist swirled around the glass ball as I closed it. Musharna backed off as I held the glass ball between mine and Bianca's face. The mist swirled like a cloud within its case, glittering like jewels and glowing like faraway stars. The mist was like Musharna's thank you gift. I bowed a last time to her, our eyes meeting. She cried out gently and began to float away.

Munna returned back its mommy and the two ran off, Munna looking back one more time with a smile of thanks to Bianca and me. Bianca waved and I smiled to Munna. After they left, Bianca and I stared after them. Within a few moments, we were walking back, the Dream Mist clutched in my hands as we escaped the ruins of the Dreamyard.

* * *

Fennel was awestricken.

Cheren was angry.

Bianca was horrified.

And I was… confused.

The four of us all had our different feelings about Team Plasma now. Fennel couldn't believe they had kicked Munna. Cheren was angry that they abused the Munna and tried to hurt of course, Bianca and me. Bianca was horrified of a group of people like that and I was…still…confused.

How could a leader of Team Plasma claim that their intentions were good when I saw with my very own eyes how they treated Pokémon to obtain something needed for whatever plans they had?

It didn't make any sense.

Fennel's was excited about the Dream Mist she obtained, though. Cheren was a little annoyed that he missed out on 'the action.' Fennel twirled the glass ball in her palms, staring at it intently, mystified. She laughed aloud and went to her computer, typing away.

"Research from now on is going to be way more accurate!" she exclaimed. Bianca and Cheren glanced sideways at each other, I could practically hear their laughter in my head. Fennel was acting like an exciting kid, awed by the Mist.

I sat in a seat, resting my feet and head as Cheren and Bianca were chatting away about the Dreamyard. I thought about Team Plasma as I twirled my PokéTalker (as I decided to call my device), around and around my wrist. I was still amazed at what they did, what they were capable of, and…how easy those grunts were beat.

"BLAISE!"

I snapped out of my thoughts.

"What?" I said innocently. Fennel smiled and Bianca giggled.

"She blanked out on us again, Cheren," Bianca said. Cheren rolled his eyes.

"What happened?"

"I'm about to leave so make sure you have everything." I did.

"What about Bianca? Aren't we going to watch her first Gym Battle?" I asked.

Bianca sucked in a breath. "No, I'll get nervous. I don't want either of you guys to watch me. It'll be hard concentrating when you guys are screaming my name and shouting advice and Oshawott will get nervous too," she said, playing with her fingers. I gave a half smile.

"Okay. But promise to call me after it's over," I said as Cheren gathered his things.

"I promise."

"Hold on! Before you guys leave, here's a snack. I whipped them up while you guys were away," Fennel said, running to us quickly handing us Berry Sandwiches. I told the sandwich that was wrapped in plastic and placed it in my bag, placing it in a snug space so Lily wouldn't squish it. She barked at the smell, meaning she liked it. Cheren took his sandwich and left, saying bye to Fennel, Bianca, and me. His Tepig blew soft embers our way and smiled.

Bianca left soon after, running to the Gym with her Oshawott holding on to her hat so he wouldn't fall with Bianca's momentum.

Snivy took her place atop my hat as Lily settled into my Bag as always. We were soon out of Fennel's bedroom/laboratory when she shouted my name.

"Wait! Here, keep the glass ball, in case you need it or something," she said. I took the ball and waltzed out, thanking Fennel.

* * *

Snivy, Lily, and I wandered the streets of Striaton City, enjoying the view as we did a bit of shopping before we left, gathering needed materials and just-in-case items in case of an emergency.

Before we knew it we were on Route 3.

Knowing we were the only ones of the road and Cheren was far ahead of me I took off the PokéTalker and lent it to Snivy who took it graciously. She turned the knob to _ON_ as she placed it on her wrist.

"I'm so proud of you guys! We won our first Gym Badge! You two were awesome!" I said happily. Lily barked.

"_Thank you. You were good two, with your strategies, and ways to win, and how many more of an attack we should do before our opponents faint…_" Snivy rambled. I blushed.

"_Blaise, I was kind of scared when those grunts said they would take us away from you_," Lily said slowly, after Snivy had passed her the device. I slowed down my walk.

"I was too. I don't understand how they could do something like that. How they could force people to give them their Pokémon and steal them away from Trainers all because they lost a battle. It's stupid and evil," I said, mad.

"_We agree. Oshawott also looked mad. Like he was about to rip off their heads if they took him away from Bianca_," Lily continued.

"Yeah," I said softly.

"_Remember that green guy? What was his name again? Z? Or was it M_?" Lily asked. I laughed.

"N," I said.

"_Yeah, him. Do you think he would change if he found out what Team Plasma just did_?"

I pondered for a few moments. Would he? He seemed intent on what he believed in. Maybe he just believed in a different version of Team Plasma, a nicer version. I shrugged.

"I don't know."

I let Lily's question hang in my head.

"_Trainer approaching!"_ Lily sang softly.

"Turn it off and we'll battle him or her," I whispered. Lily turned it off but kept it on her leg.

* * *

After the first battle, trainer kept pouring over to me.

Turns out, we had wandered into a populated area. There was a small school and a Day-Care Center beside it. The little kids were obviously outside due to recess, and when they spotted me, they were all ready to battle. The four and five year olds were adorable and strong in their battles. Snivy and Lily enjoyed playing with the kids, and battling in that matter.

I wandered into the Day-Care center, just exploring.

A plump old lady stood behind the counter and gave me information about the Day-Care. Of course I thought it was interesting but decided I liked raising my own Pokémon, which the Old Lady understood.

Returning back to the Playground I spotted Lily and Snivy playing in the sandbox with the little kids.

The kids hugged Lily and Snivy goodbye as we left the School and the Day-Care. Lily padded beside me and Snivy hung on my shoulders, her body limp.

We weren't that far away when I spotted Cheren sitting near some tall grass as if he were waiting for me.

"Hey Cheren!" I said, running up to him. He stood up.

"Hey Blaisy Lazy, anything interesting happen to you yet?" he said. I laughed.

"No, not yet. Ha, ha. Actually, I went to stop by the Day Care and the kids over by the school asked for a battle and soon after that they were playing with Snivy and Lily. I actually just left," I replied.

"Cool. Hey, I was wondering, since both of us have the Trio Badge, we should see—"

"Which of us is stronger?" I finished for him. He gave me a half smile.

"Cheren, not everything is a contest," I scowled at him. He chuckled.

"You know me, Blaisy, everything's a contest."

"Come on, enjoy some things for a change and loosen up," I said as I shook his shoulders. He rolled his eyes as I did the same.

"Please, Blaise?" he begged. I sighed.

"Fine, whatever," I said. He smiled and hugged me.

"I could kiss you right now," he said.

"Please don't."

"Right, right. _That guy_ would kill me anyways if I did," he said as he released me.

"_What guy? N_?" I asked._ A guy _would _kill_ Cheren if he _kissed_ me? Cheren gave me a startled look.

"Why the sudden conclusion on N?" he asked. I was taken aback. It wasn't N? I brushed my thoughts, laughing at myself. Why had I thought N would kill Cheren if Cheren kissed me? I smiled to myself.

"I don't know. It was the first guy besides you that popped into my head."

Cheren relaxed.

"Well, just to tell you, it's not N, but by the way he was staring at you this morning in Accumula Town I would say he definitely wanted to _kiss _you." I punched his shoulder.

"Let's just battle and get this over with," I said, rolling my eyes. Cheren smiled as took his spot, his Tepig taking its place in front of me. I looked down at Lily.

"Your battle," I said to her, she barked happily as she trotted to the battle field. Tepig blew embers as Lily straightened up and growled softly.

"Lily! _Growl_!" I yelled. Lily ran a few feet forward as she growled at Tepig. Tepig's embers cooled a bit as Tepig was frightened.

"Tepig! Use _Ember_!" Cheren yelled. Tepig raced to Lily as she backed away.

"Avoid it Lily!" Tepig shot embers in Lily's direction. She barked and tried to dance out of the way of the embers, hopping around place to place. When the embers had cooled, she relaxed.

"_Bite_ him!" I shouted. Lily raced to Tepig and bit his tail. He yowled as he tried to shake Lily off.

"Shake her off! _Defense Curl_!"

He tried to shake off Lily to perform his attack but Lily held on tightly with her jaws.

"Ok, Lily! Let go and _tackle_ him!"

Lily's jaws snapped open and she bounced back, racing back to Tepig to slam her body into him. Tepig rolled across the ground but bounced right up. I gritted my teeth. Tepig was a toughy.

"Tepig! _Embers_!"

"Avoid it, Lily!"

Lily tried to dance out of the embers way but tripped over her feet from moving too fast. The embers burned her paws and the fur on her feet. She tried to walk but I could tell she was harshly burned and it hurt her to walk.

"Lily! I know it hurts! Come on, girl! _Bite_ him again!"

Lily growled in anger at Tepig and she raced to him. When she was about a foot away she stumbled over the pain in her front paws and tripped in front of Tepig, missing. For a brief moment, Tepig and Cheren couldn't stop laughing at Lily, which angered me. They were laughing at how she was just inches away and she tripped right in front of Tepig.

I was about to say something rude to Cheren when I heard Tepig yowl into the air. I quickly returned my attention to Lily, who had found a way to slowly inch to Tepig's leg while Cheren and Tepig laughed. I smiled to myself and giggled. Lily clung to Tepig's leg with her jaws; I could see the smile behind her bite.

"Tepig! Shake her off! Use _Ember_!"

"Lily, let go off him and use _tackle!_" I yelled. I saw Tepig move his head slowly toward Lily to blow embers in her face. Lily suddenly let go and pounced backwards. Tepig blew embers her way as she pounced forward this time, leaping over him.

As she went over him in an arc, she twisted her body to slam into him. Her body slammed into his head as he smacked into the ground. It cried out in pain before it fainted.

"Wooah! Go, Lily!" I encouraged. She turned her head to me and barked lightly, turning back to Tepig to help him up. Tepig snorted but graciously let Lily help him to his feet.

"You did good Tepig," Cheren praised as Tepig rested beside him.

Lily and Snivy traded places as Cheren withdrew his next Pokémon, a Purrloin. I gave a little smirk.

"Isn't that Pokémon a little girly for you?" I commented.

"Shut up," he glared. I giggled.

"You didn't have a problem when you saw that green-hair guy with a Purrloin," he smirked. I straightened my face.

"Shut up," I snapped.

"Just saying," he shrugged. I rolled my eyes. What was up with the N jokes Cheren was always throwing at me? First the joking threat in Striaton city and now this? What was going on in Cheren's head?

I scrunched my nose.

"Didn't I beat N's Purrloin with Snivy?" I questioned, a smile playing on the ends of my lip.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean _my_ Purrloin won't beat your Snivy," he shot back. I giggled.

"But there's a high chance I'll win, right?"

"Shut up and make your move."

"I'll let you go first, you need the extra help," I joked. He gave me a look and rolled his eyes.

"Purrloin! _Sand-attack_!"

"Dodge it!" I yelled.

Purrloin raced to Snivy as Snivy tried to curve to the right. Purrloin followed Snivy's movements and kicked up sand into Snivy's eyes. Snivy stepped back and put her hands to her eyes, her eyes watering as they stung with the sand in them.

"Snivy, _Vine Whip_!" I shouted. Snivy tried open her eyes as her vines came out, whipping at the air. The first vine missed Purrloin by a few inches due to Snivy's loss of accuracy and sight, but the second vine whipped and smacked Purrloin's face. Purrloin growled a deep growled as it stepped back only to pounce forward at Snivy to attack it again.

"Purrloin, _scratch_!" Cheren yelled.

"Snivy, use _Vine Whip_ and make the vines wrap around Purrloin's paws!" I yelled. Snivy waited for Purrloin, waiting for the attack. When it was close enough, both vines managed to wrapped themselves around Purrloin's paws. The vines hefted Purrloin into the air as Purrloin flailed about.

"Now! Slam it to the ground!" I shouted. Snivy's vines whipped about in the air before they slammed Purrloin back to the ground.

Snivy glowed with confidence.

"Come on Purrloin, get right back up and _scratch_ Snivy!" Cheren shouted. Purrloin growled and raced to Snivy again.

"Snivy! Use _Vine Whip _to avoid the attack!"

The vines retracted as Purrloin neared. When one vine neared Purrloin, Purrloin scratched at it like crazy and then scratched Snivy's front as the other vine whipped Purrloin's back. They were close together and I figured out a last-minute win.

"_Tackle_, Snivy!" I ordered. Snivy leaped to Purrloin.

"Avoid—"

There was no time for Cheren to say his words. With the two so near, neither could escape from an attack. Snivy had slammed her whole body into Purrloin as Purrloin rolled across the dirt, fainting.

I ran to Snivy and gathered her in my arms. I lightly kissed her forehead and I praised her. Cheren praised his Pokémon too as they came back.

Cheren and I both leaned up against a stony wall of Route 3 as we tended for our Pokémon.

I fixed up Lily's burned paws, reapplying the gauze and tending her wounds. This was her second time being burned by a fire-user. Snivy didn't seem so bad but looked weak.

I gave them both that purple healing drink, soothing them back to strength as I forced Lily to swallow a few gulps of a Burn Heal. All of mine and Cheren's Pokémon were nursed back to health as we stood up and had a brief conversation.

"Any luck with Bianca, lover boy?" I questioned.

"I'm trying to figure out if whether or not Bianca would want to get some ice cream with me once we're in Castelia City," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"She'll say yes, I promise," I said.

"How would you know?" he said as he gave me a suspicious look.

"I just do." I wouldn't betray the both of them by telling each other their secrets. For now, I just try to get them together by encouraging them both to ask the other out. It's like being a matchmaker but already knowing the results.

He sighed as I punched his shoulder lightly.

"Sooo, not going to invite your best friend for ice cream, huh?" I said in mock sadness.

He laughed. "Something tells me that someone else is going to ask if you want to get ice cream with him," he said with a smirk.

"Who?" I asked with genuine curiosity. Cheren looked at me sadly.

"Do you seriously not remember _him_?" Cheren asked.

"_Him? Who is him_?" I asked.

"You seriously don't remember? Well, I don't blame you, I'd block out any memories involving _him_ if I could," Cheren laughed.

"Cheren! _WHO IS IT_?" I was practically begging to know by now.

"Can't tell you, but Bianca and I are holding a bet about it," he smirked.

"Betting about what? If I'll remember _him_?"

"No, something way more entertaining," Cheren said slowly with a playful smile. I wasn't going to get the answer out of him. I sighed and punched him lightly on the shoulder. By the time Cheren and I were about to leave, I heard something call out our names.

"CHEREN! BLAISE!" the voice yelled. I turned around.

"Is that Bianca?" Cheren asked with confusion.

"And Team Plasma?" I gasped.

"Out of our way!" they yelled at us. Cheren put both of his hands on my shoulder and shove me backwards so that Team Plasma didn't trample over us. They sped past us as we saw them go straight in their path. I turned around back to Bianca.

Clinging to her neck and sitting on her hip was the little girl from Accumula Town, the one that Ghetsis spoke to! They little girl was sobbing as heartbreaking tears fell like rives down her cheeks.

"What happened?" I said, my eyes widening.

"They stole my Pokémon!" the little girl wailed. Bianca bounced the girl on her hip as she tried to soothe her. She looked at Cheren and me desperately.

"Team Plasma stole her Pokémon and we tried to run after them, but they're really fast. Did you see where they went?" Bianca asked. She was speaking fast, faster than that guy N.

"They went that way, in the direction of that cave over there," Cheren pointed out. I looked at the little girl again. Her eyes were swollen lightly over the many tears that were pouring down her cheeks. Her bottom lip quivered lightly as tiny gasps escaped. Her sorrow broke my heart. Bianca bobbed the girl up and down her hip, trying to soothe the girl.

"Don't cry, don't worry. We're gonna get your Pokémon back," Bianca soothed.

"Come on, Cheren. We're gonna get her Pokémon back. Bianca, stay here with her. We'll be back as soon as possible," I said, determined. Cheren smiled cockily when he heard his name, finally happy that he'd get to be part of some action revolving around Team Plasma. I grasped his wrist as we ran to the cave.

We were at the cave mouth when I pulled out my Unova Region Map. I checked where we were and what the cave was called.

"This is the Wellspring Cave," I said.

"Did they go in here?"

"No, they went in the meadows of the dancing flowers. Of course they went in here!" I said sarcastically. Cheren rolled his eyes and grabbed my wrist as he towed me into the cave.

It was dark, though not too dark. We could still see well after our eyes adjusted to the lack of light. The further we went into the cave, the more define a figure became to be. Before we knew it, Cheren and I were face to face to two people dressed similar to knights of the past.

I began to glare evilly at the Plasma grunts. What they've done now was unacceptable. Stealing Pokémon from little kids? What were they doing?

I was so busy glaring at them that I hadn't notice the dialogue being passed between Cheren and the male grunt until Cheren began to speak to me directly.

"Blaise, this bothersome bunch doesn't really listen to reason," he said, angered. The male grunt pointed at Cheren and said to me, "That child cannot use a Pokémon to its full potential." The girl Plasma grunt continued by saying, "Doesn't that make his Pokémon sad? It's the same thing for all of you. It would be best and smart for you if you just hand over your Pokémon." She began to approach me, ready to snatch up Snivy from her position in front of me. Snivy, angry that they were trying to take her away from me, used her vines to whip them at the girl's feet in a way of saying 'back off.'

The girl Plasma grunt stepped back, shocked. Her lip twitched in anger as she withdrew a Pokéball. With a flash, a Patrat came out.

For some reason, the many Patrats were beginning to annoy me.

"Fine. If you're not going to cooperate with us, then you should know that we'll just take them away from you with force!" she yelled.

"Snivy! Use _Vine Whip_!" I yelled as Cheren engaged into his own battle with the male grunt.

"Patrat, _detect_!" the girl grunt shouted. Right when the vines where about the whip the crap out of Patrat, a gleam in the air shined. The vines instead whipped against an invisible barrier protecting the Patrat. I clenched my hands.

"Snivy! Get closer and use _Vine Whip_ again and slam Patrat into the wall!" I yelled. Snivy, even angrier that her most powerful move was evaded, ran to Patrat. Her vines snapped at Patrat's face as one vine tied itself around his leg, hefting him up and slamming him into the wall nearest us. Her attack was more powerful than before, fueled by her anger. Patrat cried out and fainted. I gave a half smile and a raise of an eyebrow.

Like the other grunt in the Dreamyard, the battle was easily won by my Pokémon.

Cheren finished up his battle a few seconds after me, his same reaction matching mine.

"What? How could we lose when we have right on our side?" the girl yelled.

"Not bad, Blaise," Cheren commented to me. I rolled my eyes and stuck out my arm, my hand outstretched like a fan, ready to receive the Pokéball containing the Pokémon that belonged to the little girl.

"Ok, we won. Give us the Pokémon now. Return it," I said my face straight as I could tell my eyes blazed with anger at them. The male grunt was just about to drop the Pokémon rudely in my hand when we heard voices from behind them.

"You don't need to return it," they said. Out of the dark emerged another two Plasma grunts, this time both males. One approached me, awfully close as his eyes locked with mine, his nose six inches away from my forehead. He was tall as I had to look up at him.

"How troublesome. Not only do you fail to understand the true freedom of Pokémon and the ways of Team Plasma, but you actually got in our way, to boot."

The other grunt, across from Cheren now but not supremely close to him as the one in front of me was, began to add on.

"There's two of you and there's two of us. How about we'll show you the combined power of Team Plasma and show you that we're right?" the other grunt rudely suggested with a snarl in his words. Cheren looked at them and the previous grunts.

"So there were more of you guys, huh? Why are you robbers acting so self-righteous?" Cheren turned to me and looked me straight in the eye. "Blaise, we've been best friends our whole entire lives. We've got each other's back when it counts the most. Why don't we show them how combined power is done?" he said fiercely. I gave him my best half smile with that blaze in my eyes my mother always talked about.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I said to him. He gave a cocky smile as his Tepig snorted and stepped a few paces in front of us. Snivy whipped her vines at the male grunt's feet, the one who was obviously way to close to me. She then took her place beside Tepig. The two newer grunts of the cave tossed up their balls as the cave flashed and two Patrats cried out and landed neatly in front of them.

_WHAT IS UP WITH TEAM PLAMSA AND PATRATS?_ I thought.

"Patrat, _Bide!"_ the two grunts shouted together.

"_Bide_?" I asked Cheren.

"It's an attack that makes them store energy to unleash. It's a pretty strong move but it'll give us an advantage. They'll be storing energy for at least two minutes," Cheren said quickly. I nodded.

"Ok, Snivy! Attack the Patrat in front of you! T_ackle_!" I yelled.

"Tepig! Use _ember_! Get the Patrat in front of you and avoid Snivy!" Cheren said, careful to add that Tepig wasn't battling Snivy too.

Snivy slammed her body into the concentrated Patrat. It looked half weakened, stronger than the earlier Patrat we battled. Tepig's embers scorched the fur on the opposite Patrat.

The Patrats were still storing energy, buying me and Cheren and extra moment for them not to be able to unleash their stored energy.

"This is it, Snivy! _Vine Whip_!"

"Come on, Tepig! Use_ Ember_!" Cheren shouted.

Snivy and Tepig seemed to match speed. The vines raced along Tepig's embers, both reaching and striking at the same time. The vines lashed out in Patrat's face. Patrat scrunched up its face and fell, hitting his head on the hard cave floor, fainting. I gave credit to the cave floor, sure that that was what made Patrat faint, hitting its head hard on it.

Tepig's embers burned bright and hot in the face of its Patrat. The fur around his face burned and smoke wisped around it. The hotness was too much for the Patrat to handle as it fell and fainted. Snivy ran to me happy as Tepig leaped into Cheren's arms. I took Snivy and hugged her as Lily barked in approval of Snivy's strength.

We won again.

The newer grunt that came too close to me said, "In order to liberate Pokémon of the Unova Region from foolish trainers, we will take their Pokémon."

Cheren scoffed at them. "Whatever… you guys are wasting your time."

"What motivation could possibly rationalize stealing Pokémon from people? People who care deeply for their Pokémon?" I growled, the grunts making me angrier by the second.

"Pokémon trainers like you are making the Pokémon suffer," the other male grunt we battled said. I gasped. How dare he?

"What do you mean, _Trainers are making Pokémon suffer? _I don't get that at all!"

The girl grunt I battled earlier glared at me.

"We'll give you back the Pokémon, but beware of how it suffers from being used by that little girl. Someday, you'll open your eyes to your own complicity," she snarled at me as she handed over the Pokéball. They turned around and walked away. I stared after them, thinking deeply.

"Cheren, Trainers bring out their best through their Pokémon's strength. They believe in us as we in them and they respond to that. I don't understand how that makes them suffer," I said softly. He hugged me.

"I don't understand either. Come on, Blaisey. Let's go return the Pokémon," he said to me as he released me from his hug.

Before we left the cave we were sure to register random Pokémon that lived in the cave, such as Roggenrola and Woobat. Then we left.

* * *

"BLAISE! CHEREN! Thank you so much! You got it back!" Bianca said. She got the little girl off her hip and dropped her to the ground gently. The little girl ran to me as I held out the Pokéball. She took it into her small palms and hugged it to her chest. She then threw her arms around me and then Cheren.

"Thank you, miss and mister!" she said kindly.

"You're welcome," Cheren and I said. The little girl then gave Bianca a hug, saying thank you for the protection Bianca offered. I watched at the little girl slipped something into Bianca's hand. Walking back to me, she took my hand and made me fan it out, dropping into it a thin silver chain necklace with a little pink and white hibiscus flower dangling on it. I gasped at its beauty and said she didn't have to give me anything. She shook her head.

"My mommy said that you should give someone something worthwhile if they do something extremely nice to you," she said innocently. I wrapped my hand around the necklace in my palm and thanked the girl. She went to Cheren briefly.

"No offense, but I don't wear necklaces," Cheren joked. The little girl giggled and said, "That's ok, I have some worthwhile advice." She motioned for Cheren to lean down. He did as she cupped her hands around his ear and whispered to him. After a few seconds he shot right back up and blushed lightly. The girl giggled and then rushed to give us all a final hug.

"Here, I'll take you back home," Bianca said, picking up the girl.

"You're going to take the girl all the way back to Accumula Town?" I said incredulously. Bianca laughed.

"No, her parents and she were visiting in Striaton City. They're there and waiting for her. I'll meet you guys in Nacrene City for a late lunch," she said, already walking away. We waved goodbye as Cheren and I began to walk the path to Nacrene City.

"What did the girl say?" I asked as I clasped the necklace around my neck, adjusting the hibiscus charm so it wasn't twisted with the silver chain. Cheren blushed again.

"It was something about Bianca," he said, blushing harder. I laughed and shoved him lightly.

"What did she say 'bout it?"

"She said I should tell Bianca I love her already." I gasped.

"You love her?" I said. Cheren face palmed his forehead as if saying: _damn, I said too much to Blaise! _

I began to laugh like crazy.

_I am so going to torment Cheren now_, I thought.

"You love Bianca!" I sang. He pushed me lightly.

"Blaise loves N!" he sang back. I raised an eyebrow with a half smile.

"What's with you and the N jokes?" I asked. He laughed.

"Blaise, did you see the way he was staring at you in Accumula Town? It was like; he was amazed by you, like he was confused and conflicted about his feelings toward you. Bianca said to me that he looked like he just saw the most beautiful creature in the Unova Region. He was captivated by _your beaut_y," Cheren drawled. I shoved him lightly and gave a laughing scoff.

"I am not the most beautiful creature in the Unova Region," I argued. Cheren shook his head.

"Trust me, if I didn't know Bianca you'd be the…" he began to quietly tick off names off his fingers. Then he held up nine fingers. "You'd be the ninth beautiful creature in the Unova Region," he joked. I laughed.

"So I'm in the top ten beautiful creatures you know?" I asked.

"Pretty much," he said. We laughed as I linked my arms in his. He was truly my best friend. There for me when I needed reassurance or confidence or a pick-me-up or just simply a laugh. We stopped near some tall grass.

"Be careful over in this kind of grass, two might pop out at the same time," he said. Then he veered off the path to travel alone that didn't lead into the tall grass.

I brushed back a long bang of hair behind my ear. For a moment, I just stood there. Bianca and Cheren obviously _liked_, excuse me, _loved_ each other, but they were too shy to pronounce it. Right now, I wanted to feel what they were feeling, the emotion of loving/liking someone. I wanted to blush like them when my crush's name was spoken, I wanted a little girl to say to him, 'just say you like her already.' I didn't want to be left out.

I chewed my lips and scoffed at myself, straightening up.

What was I doing? I shouldn't say things like that; I didn't have time for love right now. I needed to find a library, I needed to research.

I had to find the answers to something before my journey ended.

Something with nothing to do with love of a soul mate and nothing to do with Unova.

I had to find the answers.

Before it became too late.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for any grammatical mistakes. I wrote this kind of in a rush. I kind of added something new to the ending that has nothing to do with N. You'll find out what exactly Blaise is researching in the next chapter, along with some more N and another Gym Badge Battle. Review and get a shoutout! Mwah!


	5. Not a Very Normal Day

A/N: Hello Starshines! Here's the newest update of Blaise's adventures and love issues! In this chapter I think you guys are going to find out what Blaise is so worried out about and freaked out about. And now, the shout outs-

Shout out to:

Liese Kazusa-chanx- HIM is a certain guy who will be coming soon and make, probably, my story more interesting! Yay! Though, I can say HIM is not Black, but HIS best friend is Black, soooo be prepared. Blaisey Lazy is going to enlarge her team, finally, in this chappie. You like the long ones? Yay! Here's the longest one yet. WOOOOH! Took me forever to write this!

Eirdaru- thanks for liking my story! Here's the update!

* * *

Not a very _Normal_ Day

The three of us, Snivy, Lily, and I, were trudging through Route 3. We sneakily crawled through the tall grass, scanning new Pokémon into my Pokédex. There was so much grass to walk through, that my feet were aching badly like before when I arrived in Striaton City. I've done so much walking since then and the additional steps I was taking now weren't helping. I plodded through the grass with heavy steps.

"_Why are you walking so slowly? Didn't your mom and dad give you _running shoes?" Snivy joked. I gave an annoyed sigh.

"My feet are killing me! And, I have to carry both of you around," I said.

"_Are we_ that _heavy_?" Snivy asked.

"No, but I'm tired. I never walked this much in my entire life," I said, plopping down on a large boulder. I stretched out my legs and leaned back against the earth. The rock I was sitting on was flat and comfortable, allowing me to take a moment to rest awhile and sit down.

I kicked off my shoes and placed them beside me. On my other side was my bag with Lily crawling out of it now. I pulled my legs in, criss-crossing them. I grabbed one of my feet and began to massage it, sighing happily.

I began massaging my other foot when I saw something in Lily's mouth.

"What do you have there?" I asked

"_The sandwich Fennel made earlier_," Lily said. Red and white gleamed in the sunlight, telling me that Lily had the PokéTalker on now.

My stomach growled lightly as Snivy made her way to the sandwich, unwrapping the plastic film around it.

When she unwrapped it, she looked at me.

"I think there are some plastic utensils in my bag," I said. Lily rummaged about, finding an open cardboard box filled with white plastic knives, forks, and spoons. She dropped the box in front of Snivy, who took a knife and began to cut the sandwich in four neat squares.

I finished massaging my feet and reached for a square, not bothering to put back on my shoes until I was actually ready to walk again.

I chewed slowly, savoring the taste of the sweet berries on the bread. I hadn't realized that I was hungry. I must have been so busy obtaining my first gym badge and battling and catching Team Plasma and running around everywhere.

"_You can see the buildings between the tree tops,"_ Lily said, taking another bite of her sandwich square. I groaned.

"I don't think my feet can handle another hundreds of yards," I said as I stretched my toes. I was amazed at how I didn't have any blisters yet.

"_You'll be able to rest later on, when we're at Cheren's Aunt and Uncle's house_," Lily quoted. I groaned again.

"It's a _long_ way from here to Castelia City," I said as I dug through my bag to look at the map. I groaned again.

"And there's a bridge!" I exclaimed. Lily and Snivy laughed at me.

"_Are you going to eat that_?" Lily asked me, motioning with her paw to the last sandwich square.

"Yeah, but you and Snivy can have a bite out of it," I said. They each took a bite as I reached out sideways for my shoes. I leaned further and further, not remembering that I put them so far away from me.

I turned by head to the side, finding nothing but the surface of the boulder I was sitting on.

"Where are my shoes?" I exclaimed. I slid down the rock as I searched everywhere near the boulder.

"Where are they?" I exclaimed again, desperate now for my shoes. I was not going to walk barefoot here all the way to Nacrene City.

"Lily, Snivy, did you see what happened?" I asked, still searching. They shook their heads no as I bit my lip.

_Where were my shoes?_

"_Pi_?" a voice cried out questionably. I looked up.

There, in the tree that gave us shade, was a Pidove.

_With my shoes!_

Pidove had the shoelaces in its beak, the pink and black chunky-heeled boots I gotten from Bianca for my birthday, hanging.

"Can I please get my shoes back?" I asked as nicely as I could. Pidove looked down at me. I could practically hear its laughter. It shook its head no, chirping with happiness.

"But those were a birthday present!" I whined. Pidove looked at me longer. After a few seconds it chirped again and shook its head no.

"I need those shoes! I'm not going to walk barefoot!" I said. I saw a smile behind Pidove's beak. She flew to a branch closer to me, lower to me. Then it shook its head slowly from side to side, the shoes swaying.

Was it taunting me?

"_She wants you to climb to get the shoes_," Snivy said.

Pidove was definitely taunting me.

I looked at Lily worriedly as she looked at me worriedly. Lily barked at Snivy softly, explaining to her.

Snivy looked at me with a look of astonishment.

"_You're scared of heights_?" she asked. I nodded slowly and looked up, the higher branches looking down at me. I felt that queasiness in my stomach about high places. Pidove looked at me with confusion.

She must have heard Lily explaining to Snivy about my situation.

Instead of mocking me by going higher with my shoes, she dropped to a lower branch, closer to me. She swayed the shoes back and forth again, still taunting me to get my own shoes. I sucked in a breath.

"Uh, Pidove, I sort of have acrophobia. It's a fear of heights, so um, I'm going to have a lot of trouble climbing up a tree and getting my shoes back," I confessed. Pidove looked at me with sad eyes, wondering how I could be so scared of extreme heights when she practically lived in them. I moved to the base of the tree as Pidove fluttered down a final time, giving me a better chance to get my shoes that didn't involve such an extreme height.

I reached for the branch nearest me and tried to pull myself up while finding a foothold. On the branch, I move to the next one, and then the next, and the next.

My shoes were in a closer range now, just one more branch…

"_Be careful_!" Snivy yelled. I puffed my cheeks in nervousness, taking a quick peek down. I sucked a breath and looked back up, closing my eyes and breathing hard. I was about seventeen feet up in the air, not bad, but a bit terrifying for me. I reach up quickly for the next branch when all of a sudden I heard a pop.

I looked at the branch I was on, spotting the area where it met the base of the tree. There was a tear, like it was begging to split away from the tree.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no. Please don't break. Please don't break," I said over and over again. I reached up for the next branch, my fingers brushing the bark.

There was a loud crack as I knew that branch that was supporting by weight was hanging on the tree by a thread. I stood on my toes as I reached higher, one of my hands wrapping around the higher branch above me.

My other hand reached up, wrapping around the branch as I tried to heft myself up.

Then a loud snap vibrated through my ears.

I was jerked away from the tree branch I had held onto, my hands wrenched away from the branch.

"_BLAISE!" _Snivy yelled.

"_Pi!" _Pidove squeak loudly. The next thing I felt as I fell was a sudden gust of air, cushioning my fall. I landed roughly of my back, though. I wheezed softly as the air was knocked out of me. I gasped for breath and turned around so that I was on my stomach. I coughed and breathed deeply, my lungs shouting for air. Snivy and Lily rushed to me, trying to help me to sit up. In the right sitting position, I stretched my legs and arms which were sore from my clumsy fall. In another gust of wind, Pidove landed softly in front of us.

She had an apologetic look in her eyes as she dropped my shoes in front of me. She nudged the shoes closer to me and chirped softly.

"_She said that she was sorry for putting you through that_," Snivy translated.

"It's ok, Pidove. Thanks for saving me," I said to her. She looked down.

"_Pi_?" she said. I laughed and stroked her head, then heard her stomach growl.

"Are you hungry?" I asked. She looked up and gave a modest chirp. I stood up as I reached for the last sandwich squares that had two uneven sides, bites from Snivy and Lily.

"It's not much, but…" I let my words hang. I offered it to her as she slowly pecked it out of my hand, swallowing it. She chirped happily as I began to tie on my shoes. I stood up and went to the boulder I was sitting on earlier. I retrieved my bag and got the disposable knife and plastic film, wrapping both of them up so I could throw it away when I saw a trash can. Lily leaped into my bag as Snivy took her place on my hat, which I had to retrieve off the ground since it fell of my head when I fell off the tree.

We had begun walking when I noticed that Pidove was following us.

"Pidove, are you following us?" I asked.

"_Pi!"_ she said happily. She then flew up high and flapped her wings wildly and dived back down so she could make eye contact with me. I tugged on Snivy's tail.

"I think she wants to battle…" I said slowly.

"_Yay! I can work on that new move then_!" Snivy exclaimed. She climbed down and took her stance in front of me as Lily handed me a Pokéball from my bag. Lily was wagging her tail and barking happily, happy that we were going to enlarge our team.

"Snivy, ready?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"Ok, Vine Whip!" I exclaimed. She responded immediately, the vines whipping at Pidove. Pidove avoided the attacks easily, swooping through the air. Pidove then flapped her wings roughly, a gust of air causing Snivy to be thrown backwards into my legs. I picked her up and made her stand again so she could battle Pidove.  
"Ok, Snivy, Leaf Tornado!" I yelled. I felt the air whip around us as the tornado was formed. She stood on her tail, spinning rapidly around and around as a tornado of leaves surrounded her.

The tornado of leaves then moved away from her, toward Pidove. Pidove was caught in the tornado, spinning and spinning wildly until the tornado became calmer and she was thrown against a tree. She slid down the base and toppled down, her wings over her head.

_Here's my chance! _I thought.

I let my arm swing over my head, letting the Pokéball roll smoothly over my hand and then my fingertips. It swung in a twisting arc as it cracked open, the button pressed when pushed against Pidove's skull. Pidove was sucked into the ball. The ball shivered and rolled as I crossed my fingers for luck.

It shivered another two times before little fireworks popped and sparkled.

"Yes!" I cried out. I smiled and ran to the Pokéball, grasping it in my palms. I pressed the little white button as it flashed, Pidove crying out.

"_Pidove_!" she said happily, swooping around and around in an arc. She then perched herself on my shoulders, nuzzling her head against my cheek as Snivy climbed up to rest on my hat. I laughed, feeling a bit like Snow White, all the Pokémon surrounding me. Lily barked happily as I began to walk again to Nacrene City.

* * *

"It took you awhile to get here, Blaisey Lazy. What did you do? Take a nap?" Cheren asked me as soon as I entered the PokéCenter; all three of my Pokémon where being nursed for as I took a seat in a booth. Cheren slid in on the other side. I stuck out my tongue at him.

"We had a little detour," I confessed.

"What for?" he asked, mockingly.

"A snack break and, um," I said.

"And?" Cheren pushed.

"Well, my shoes were briefly stolen and I had to climb up a tree to get them," I said shyly. Cheren frowned.

"Were you ok? You're not hurt or anything, right?" he asked, worry in his eyes. I laughed.

"It's ok. No bruises, see? I'm alright. If anything, I'm only more scared of heights now," I laughed. He gave me a sideways smile.

"Well, I'm glad you're ok. You still have to beat Lenora," he said.

"She's the Gym Leader here, right?"

"Yeah, and she's tough, so I heard."

"Are you going to fight her right now?" I asked.

"No, but you should. You seem ready."

"Thanks, but there's something I want to do before I fight Lenora," I confessed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. Don't worry," I said quickly. I looked down and felt Cheren's hand on mine. I looked up at him. He stared at me with sad eyes.

"This is about your dad, isn't it?" he asked softly. Before I could answer, Nurse Joy came in with a cart.

"Miss, your Pokémon are healed back to health!" she said cheerily. Lily jumped back into my bag as Snivy raced to my hat. Pidove chirped happily and perched on my shoulder as Nurse Joy left with her Audino and her cart.

"Hey, guys," I said sweetly to them.

"Feeling better?" I asked. Pidove chirped and Lily barked as Snivy cried out happily. I let my eyes wander back to Cheren. He was still staring at me with sad eyes.

"What?" I asked annoyed.

"Blaise, just promise me you won't get obsessed with whatever you're doing," he said softly. I looked away.

"Promise me. This isn't good for you, you can't dwell all your time on something that happened five years ago," he said.

"You don't understand. It wasn't your father who disappeared," I snapped.

"You're right, but Blaise, listen. Just promise me if things don't go according to how you want them to go…"

I stared at him blankly. He sighed.

"Blaise…" he said slowly.

"I promise," I said, looking down. I clenched my hands into fists. He didn't understand, but I couldn't let my best friend down. I realized what I had done.

I made a promise when I knew I couldn't keep it.

* * *

"So we'll meet at the Café in an hour for a late lunch?" I asked as we walked toward the gym.

"Yeah," Cheren said, still worried about me.

"You better call Bianca so she knows where we are," I joked. Cheren managed a smile.

"I will," he said. I laughed.

"See ya in an hour," I said.

"Yeah, see you," he said as he left. I watched him go away, wandering in Nacrene City.

I looked at the building, it was large and captivating. The Gym was combined with a library and a museum, perfect for researching and battles.

I was to the door when I began to pull on the handle. My hand wasn't even touching the handle when there was a push from the other side. The door slammed into my head and knocked me backwards on my butt. My coccyx yelled in temporary pain as I rubbed my forehead.

"OW!" I yelled. A hand was offered in front of me. I took it as I noticed the three golden, square bangles jingling.

_N, _I thought. I looked up.

Sure enough, that green haired guy was in front of me. I was still holding onto his hand and he looked at me like he had in the Plaza, wondrously confused and awed.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Its fine, I should have been more alert, not daydreaming," I said. I attempted to give a smile but instead grimaced. For a second, all I could see was pure meadow green stare at me. Slowly, warmth crept through my hand and up my arm and seeped through all my thoughts. A pleasant shiver vibrated down my spine and I looked deeper into N's eyes.

_Where have I seen those eyes before?_

I snapped my hand back from him and looked down to brush dirt off my shorts and legs. I only brought my eyes back to N's when I was sure that all my emotions were concealed, trying only to look serene and calm.

I was about to attempt a quick small-talk conversation with N when that awed look increased in intensity caught me off guard.

"Blaise…I…" he began.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I want to see things no one can see. The ideals of Pokémon inside Pokéballs. The truths…of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect. Blaise, do…do you feel the same way?" he said.

His words brought a fog of questions and fear in my mind. When he speaks like that I get the idea that that Team Plasma speech in Accumula Town got stuck in his head.

Yes, I did want to see things no one else could see. I wanted to see sunsets and stars in other places; I wanted to see things that were only revealed to me and not others.

It was a selfish thought, and yet, I still felt drawn to unknown mysteries.

But a future where Pokémon have become perfect, can that even exist as a possibility? I was raised to believe that no one, even Pokémon, were perfect. Yet, the idea of perfect beings in a future twisted my thoughts and my questions. How could I explain something in such a simple word?

"Yes, but, I believe in a different version of what you're saying. I think they're only perfect when everyone is connected and…together," I said, nervously twisting my hair around my finger.

_What I said made no sense at all._

"Is that so? I think my friends and I should test you to see if you can see this future, too," he said. I brought my eyes up to look at him. I understood his words again.

He wanted another battle.

It was so strange how he never directly said he wanted a battle. He always said something so mysterious but yet I could always understand what he was trying to say, just like in Accumula Town.

'_Let me hear you Pokémon's voice again,' _his voice echoed in my mind.

I sighed and breathed in slowly, smelling the soft fragrance of vanilla and chocolate that wafted my way. I nodded slowly to him as Snivy raced past my feet, ready for a battle.

The air gave a little flash as I heard a Pidove cry out of N's Pokéball. The Pidove perched on my shoulder chirped and flapped her wings angrily at N's Pidove. I tried to calm down my Pidove as I stroked her head.

"It's ok, Snivy got this one. I promise you'll get to battle. Just watch right now, ok? And don't be mad that you won't fight _his Pidove_, ok?" I soothed. She gave an annoyed chirp and pecked softly at my cheek. Pidove fluttered down next to my feet, waiting eagerly when she would get the chance to fight for me. I looked at Snivy and N's Pidove, and then N himself. Something churned in his eyes that made me wonder what he was thinking, or what he was hearing.

He looked…conflicted.

His Pidove took heavy wing beats; hovering beside N. Already I knew that possibly Vine Whip would be futile against Pidove, as he could easily avoid it by just flying away.

"Snivy, Leaf Tornado!" I shouted. Snivy began to gracefully spin on her tail, a tornado of leaves surrounding her. She made her tornado twist over to Pidove.

"Pidove, avoid it!" N yelled. Pidove tried swoop away from it but instead got sucked into it, spinning around and around and eventually flying out, smacking itself into a Gym Statue. I flinched as I heard a thud.

"Come on Pidove! You're doing great, use Gust!" N yelled.

"Avoid it, Snivy!" I shouted.

Pidove flapped his wings harshly in the direction of Snivy. With a cry, she was thrown back into my legs like when she battled my Pidove. Like I did earlier, I picked her up and dusted her off, giving words of encouragement. When I put her back down, N made his move.

"Pidove, use Quick Attack!"

_Damn it!_ I thought.

Pidove raced to Snivy with swift speed. I didn't even see what happened, all I knew was that Snivy was rolling. She pushed herself up, breathing hard. She was angry. She hadn't lost a battle yet and she surely wasn't going to start now. Her confidence was just overflowing and giving her more of a will. I gave a smile.

"Come on, Snivy! You can do this! Leaf Tornado!" I yelled.

A tornado of leaves surrounded her and with a bemuse look, I noticed how the tornado spun ridiculously fast. I almost felt a tugging to it, sucking me to go in it as my feet inched slowly to the suction unwillingly. She hurled the tornado at Pidove and he was sucked into it, chirping wildly as it spun within the tornado. When the tornado slowed, Pidove was hurled out again, this time, against the stone wall of the Nacrene Gym. I flinched again, not noticing that I had. N had seen though, confusion lighting his eyes. Was he confused on how I reacted at Pidove's pain? His Pidove cried out as it fainted.

"You did great," he said softly when his Pidove returned to its Pokéball.

"Come here, Snivy. You were awesome. Were you getting mad and annoyed at N's Pidove?" I asked. Snivy gasped and began ranting on, forgetting that I couldn't understand her due to the fact that she didn't have on the Pokétalk.

N stepped in there.

"She's mad because she couldn't avoid any of his attacks," he said.

"Oh."

With a flash, N's next Pokémon came up, one unknown to me. I quickly snatched my Pokédex to record it.

"_Timburr, the muscular Pokémon. It fights by swinging a piece of lumber around. It is close to evolving when it can handle the lumber without difficulty," _it chimed. I quickly put it away, eager for the battle. Snivy climbed to my other shoulder and slumped over it. She looked annoyed and mad, but full of pride that she had won.

Lily leaped out of my bag as she hurried to her spot. Immediately I began to have second thoughts. Normal vs. fighting type didn't seem to favor me in this battle. I chewed on my lip. Should I leave Snivy out there? I shook my head.

Lily could handle this.

"Lily, come on girl! Use Take Down!" I shouted. Lily ran toward Timburr at maximum speed as she threw her body against Timburr. She flinched as a result, hurting herself too.

Timburr looked weakened, but not majorly injured in any way. I gritted my teeth.

"Low Kick!" N yelled. Timburr kicked low to the ground and kicked at Lily's paws. As a result, Lily fell on her back and growled menacingly. She scrambled back up to an upright position.

"Lily! Bite!" I shouted. I figured since it was a dark move, it would be more effective than Take Down.

"Avoid it!" N yelled. Lily bared her teeth and charged at Timburr. She was just about to make for his arm when he smacked her away with his lumber. I gasped and had a sudden urge to run up to Lily. Instead, I held back and clutched the necklace I was given. The hibiscus felt warm in my hand and the tighter I held on to it, the more I was assured that Lily was ok. She scrambled back on her feet and growled angrily.

She was definitely pissed off now.

"Low kick!" N yelled.

"Bite!" I yelled. I watched with observant eyes how Timburr kicked at Lily. Lily danced gracefully out of the way and instead of taking a bite from his arm, locked her jaws around his leg. Every time Timburr tried to kick her off, Lily only bit harder.

"Knock her off with your lumber!" N yelled.

"Let go and attack with Take Down!"

As Timburr swung for Lily and his leg, she suddenly let go and pounced forward, attacking.

I heard them both cry out and noticed how the two of them fainted.

Timburr and Lily both fainted.

This time I allowed myself to run to Lily. I picked her up in my arms and she woke up, her eyes fluttering. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. She risked making herself faint so Timburr could too. I hugged her against my chest and for the first time since a while, let her rest in her Pokéball. The ball shivered in my palms when she was once in it and I tucked the ball in my pocket instead of my bag.

Snivy seemed to miss Lily's presence as she cried out sadly. I reassured Snivy that Lily would be out again once we visit the PokéCenter.

I watched as N confirmed with his Pokémon that it had done great. When he pulled out his last Pokémon's ball, I was so sure that it would be Purrloin, or maybe it's evolution.

Instead, I was greeted by a Tympole.

It cried out happily as it saw its opponent, my Pidove.

My conscious was telling me to instead send out Snivy due to type match ups, but I knew Pidove could handle her first battle with me against N. She was so eager to prove herself worthy of being a part of my team. Pidove chirped and fluttered away from me, soaring and hovering in the sky.

"Pidove, Quick attack!" I yelled. She cried out and dove for Tympole with swift speed. She slammed into it and Tympole weakened. I grinned to myself, a few more quick attacks and I'd win.

"Tympole, supersonic!" N yelled.

_Uh oh._

Yellow rings came from Tympole, hitting Pidove with soft _pings. _

Pidove looked around and around, looking wild and greatly confused.

"Pi? Dove?" it questioned. I bit my lip and took a deep breath.

"Pidove, come on girl! Use Gust," I ordered. She registered the attack but when she tried to flap her wings to make a big gust of air to hit Tympole, she instead made the gust of air throw her into the ground. I flinched as Pidove injured herself and I had an urge to shake Pidove so it could snap out of its confusion.

"Bubblebeam!"

With Pidove on the ground and her head still spinning from confusion, the bubbles that blew their way to her popped roughly against her and she cried out in pain.

"Pi!" she said angrily.

She snapped out of her confusion.

"Pidove! Quick attack!" I yelled. Her attack was rougher as she dived up then down to attack the helpless Tympole. Tympole frowned in pain but quickly responded.

"Supersonic!" N yelled.

"Fly out of the way, Pidove!" I shouted. The golden rings were making their way to Pidove as she suddenly veered to the right quickly, barely making it out of the way of the attack.

"Gust!" I shouted.

Pidove hovered in the air for a second and flapped her wings in one beat as a gust of air came to Tympole. Tympole rolled on the ground and fainted at his Trainer's feet. Pidove flew to my face and hovered there, chirping happily and pecking my cheek. I giggled and held her wings so I could give her a hug and praise her.

"You did really well, Pidove! I'm so proud of you!" I said excitedly. I kissed her head softly and let her perch on my shoulder as N and I made our way to each other.

Something in the back of my head asked why Snivy and Lily never growled at him. Yes, I knew that they had nothing against him, but he was a rival, a mysterious one. He wasn't mean to me, but his belief were so close to Ghetsis that I wondered how come Snivy and Lily never said anything. If anything, they just stared at him.

We stared at each other and there it was again, the tugging in the back of my head, reminding me that I had seen those eyes before, a long, long, long time ago. How could a simple shade of green unbalance my thoughts so easily? I tugged at my memory, begging for it to reveal to me a time where I had seen those eyes.

The only memory I got was green staring at me.

I brought my fist to my forehead and pressed it against my skull. Memories always brought me a headache. I've spent so long trying to avoid memories from when I was younger that I had realized I've develop a headache every time I tried to conjure up one from my deep, deep childhood.

"Are you ok?" N asked in concern and confusion. I nodded.

"I'm fine, just a headache. By the way, what happened to your Purrloin?" I asked as I removed my fist from my skull.

"I let her go. I could not stand to let her fight."

"Blaise…I…I-I cannot see the future yet, it is still being determined. Right now, my friends and I aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon. Maybe…maybe I can't decipher the equation that will change the world. So, I need power… Power enough to make anyone agree with me," he said softly to me. I hitched a breath and stared at his green eyes.

_Power. _

That one word made me nervous. It isn't power that makes anyone and everyone agree with an idea, it's the way you explain it and the way you strike an impression in everyone's heart.

He was talking about force, to force people to agree with his ideas.

He began to walk around me to leave and I turned to look at him walk off, away from Nacrene City. He must have thought I was out of earshot because he stopped and began talking to himself.

"I know what power I need. Zekrom! The Legendary Pokémon that, along with the hero, created the Unova region. It is my turn to become that hero—and you and I will become friends!"

I watched as he finally left Nacrene City. I couldn't help but to stare after him. He always left me thinking if he would glance back at the gates to see if I was still where he left me.

I wonder if he knew that, somehow, I was awed by him, too.

* * *

Nurse Joy successfully healed my Pokémon back to health and I was already making my way back to the Museum with the Gym and the Gym Leader, Lenora.

I grasped the door handle and pulled back, the smells of earth and dirt and age mingling together and tickling my nose. I stepped into it and gasped at the Museum. Century old artifacts were in display cases and fossils were everywhere. I was making my way to a large skeleton of a Pokémon when a man also fascinated by the skeleton caught me gazing at it with wonder.

"Welcome! I'm Hawes, the assistant director of the Museum," he said proudly. I gave him a smile and shook the hand he offered me.

"Hi, um, I'm Blaise White, a Pokémon Trainer looking forward to receiving a gym badge by fighting against the Gym Leader, Lenora," I said. He smiled even brighter and motioned to the large skeleton.

"Hello! I'll take you to Lenora in a bit, but first, a quick tour. Shall we?" he asked. I nodded. Maybe something in here could help me…

"This is a skeleton of a Dragon-Type Pokémon. There's a theory that there was an accident while it was flying around the world, and so it became a fossil," he lectured. I drunk in his words, amazed by the skeleton and their theories. He then led me to a meteorite which gleamed black and looked jagged looking.

"This, my friend, is a meteorite! This rock is pure amazing! It contains some time of energy from space and we encourage people not to touch it," he said, a little smile curling on his lip. He was about to lead me to ancient masks when I made him stop to give me some information about a stone that gleamed white. It captured my eyes and attention and it felt…in a way…alive.

"What about this?" I had asked.

"Oh, this? It's just an ordinary old stone. We found it near the Desert Resort in the ruins. Other than the fact that it's old, it doesn't seem to have any value… We only display it because it's rather pretty to look at," he lectured. I took his word for it and let him lead me upstairs to the library, but stopped a few steps up to look back at it.

I saw my reflection in it and admired the pretty stone. It was pretty to look at, and to think it had no value, shocked me.

I followed Hawes up the stairs and into a library, the smells of aged paper and binding greeting me. There I had met Clyde again.

"Ah! Miss White! Lovely to see you again!" he said, kindly. I beamed at him.

"Same to you!" I replied with a laugh.

"You two are acquainted?" Hawes asked.

Clyde and I nodded our heads.

"I met him in the Striaton Gym," I said.

"Yes, and she had won the battle there against the Gym Leader, too. I saw it. In fact, Hawes, I think Lenora may have trouble beating Miss White," Clyde said with admiration and pride. I gave a shy smile to Hawes.

"I don't know. Besides, Chili almost got me. I may not be fully prepared to go against Lenora now anyway," I said. Clyde patted my shoulder.

"Don't be so modest, Miss White! I'm sure you are prepared to battle against Lenora now and I bet you, Hawes, that Miss White will win!" Clyde boasted. I blushed. Clyde was being so nice and so confident that I'll win that he wanted me to battle her now! I would have loved to battle her now, but I had something else to do in the library that I needed-slash-wanted to do.

I had no choice; Clyde was already pushing me to a bookcase, with Hawes following.

"Ah, Miss White, you can begin now," he said.

I stared at the tall bookcase.

"Excuse me?" I said with confusion.

Hawes laughed and looked at Clyde.

"Clyde, in your enthusiasm, you forgot to tell Miss White what to do in order to reach Lenora," Hawes laughed. Clyde blushed.

"I apologize, Miss White, you see, in order for you to battle Lenora; you must find clues hidden in books that will, eventually, lead you to Lenora. Good luck, oh, and your first clue is, "Nice to Meet You, Pokémon." If you have trouble finding it, ask anyone! And remember, if you answer questions hidden in books, you can move forward," he said.

"Good Luck, Miss White," Hawes said.

"Thank you!" I said to them. Before the two left me in the wake of the bookshelf, Clyde handed me a fresh water bottle while I spotted a Patrat near a little boy.

Spotting a mini ladder on the side of the bookshelf, I grabbed it and dragged it over to the spot where I was. I looked up and saw a label on the top of the shelf. I brushed back my long bangs to see it better. It read _Children's Books._

I brought my thumb to my mouth and chewed on my nail. This shelf has to have that book Clyde told me to look for.

I brushed through the various titles, scanning.

I found one jutted out in a weird angle and read the binding. _Nice to Meet You, Pokémon _was stamped on it. I smiled and picked it up, leaning it on its shelf as I flipped it to the back of the book, reading the summary.

_It is a fairy tale about a little boy who met a Pokémon for the first time in his life. He is with a small, brown Pokémon. _

I began to flip through the book, looking at the beautiful pictures of it

As I came across a picture of a little boy and a Pokémon seeing each other for the first time, a white square of paper fluttered down to my feet on the rung of the ladder. I carefully put the book back on it shelf, and slowly bent down to grab the paper, holding the bookshelf for support from fear of falling off the library ladder.

The paper crinkled from my touch and looked worn and old from the many challenging Trainers that have read it. I straighten up and leaned against the bookshelf, reading the memo.

_Pokémon Trainers! I am the Gym Leader, Lenora! I have hidden four memos. Each of them has a question you must, obviously, answer. Can you solve the questions that will lead up to our battle and the spot where you'll find me? Here is your first question: What is the first Pokémon you spotted in this Gym? Your hint is…on a bookshelf in the middle row! Try and find it!_

I tucked the memo back in its book and slowly climb down the ladder, looking down and feeling for each rung. The fall earlier from the tree made me even more careful and afraid.

I headed toward the middle row and saw a girl reading a book. I didn't want to disturb her so I headed toward the other bookshelf. I took a step back to glance at the label on the bookshelves. Pidove flew off my shoulder and landed on the top of a bookshelf, pecking her beak against one of the labels. It was labeled _Pokémon. _I gasped. Of course this bookcase would lead me to Lenora, but it could also give me information on the Pokémon that had imprisoned my father in its dimension, if he was there at all.

I let my fingers brush against the _G's_. The name that Alder had spoken years ago rang with echoes in my head.

_Giratina._

_Giratina._

_Giratina_.

I blinked my eyes a few times to keep from crying. Without success, I began to search something else that could probably have something to do with Giratina. I let my fingers run across the C's, thinking maybe Creations of Regions. I even let my fingers dance across the L's, thinking of books with information on Legendary Pokémon.

Instead I found something called "The Legends of the Sinnoh Region." I took the book of the shelf and flipped through it. There were beautiful paintings on the Legendary Pokémon whose home was there. Finally, I came across the painting of Giratina. I stared at it and brought my hand to my mouth. It had two forms and the painting brought many fears and anger to my mind.

My father had been imprisoned by this Pokémon. It looked regal and scary at the same time. I can't believe my father saw this in real life.

Too many emotions were rising up and I shut the book close with such a force that the binding loosened a bit. Quietly I shoved the book in my bag, making sure no one saw me. I took a few shaky breaths and felt Lily's head nuzzle my waist in comfort. I looked down at her and scratched her behind her ear.

She was the one who really understood my situation, the only one.

Perhaps Snivy understood, too, but Lily had been with me the longest and even though she was in an egg, was there when I found out about my dad being gone somewhere.

I got a hold of myself and began thinking about the first Pokémon I saw in this Gym. I remembered seeing a Patrat with a little boy and wondered if that was the Pokémon related to the question. I climbed up the ladder and began searching for a book about Patrat.

I saw a book that looked worn and read several times and picked it up, looking at the binding. The title of the book was _The Biology of Patrat. _I flipped it to the back and read the miniature summary.

_They communicate with each other by movement of their tails. A Patrat raises its tail when it sees an enemy. _

I scanned the rest of the summary and saw a memo taped to the bottom of the back of the book under the summary.

It was another memo of Lenora's.

_As I thought, that question was easy. Well, this is the second question: Flame burns inside its body, and it gives off smoke from its head while it runs…What is this book? The hint is someone may be already reading this book._

I tucked the book back into its spot and stepped down the ladder.

Pidove fluttered back down and perched back on my shoulder while I walked to the girl I saw on the other side of the row. I tapped her shoulder lightly and she turned around.

"Um, sorry to disturb your reading but do you know anything of the book about 'flames burning inside a body while giving off smoke as it runs?'" I asked. She shook her head and pointed to a book she was reading.

"Sorry, but no. This book over hear is on the biology of Tepig, and there's nothing about smoke from its head while it runs," she said as she turned back to her book. I puffed my cheeks and pulled my hat down so it covered my eyes.

"Why do Gym Leaders have to go all crazy with how a challenging Trainer gets to them?" I mumbled angrily. I walked up and down different aisles and spotted a scientist reading a book. I approached her and tapped on her shoulder, asking about the memo I found in that book. She asked me what it had said and I told her. She closed the book she had and placed it back in the shelf, climbing down her ladder to see me. She pointed to the book she was reading.

"Well, that book over there is called _The Structure of a Locomotive. _Do you think that might be the book with your answer?" she asked. I nodded eagerly. I felt stupid for a moment about not knowing that it was a locomotive the memo was talking about.

"Yeah, I think that's the book," I said. She cocked her head to the side and smiled. _Uh oh. _

"How's this? I'll let you read it if you can beat me in a quick battle?" she asked.

_Seriously? _

I really didn't want to battle her but I shrugged because I really didn't have a choice.

With a few short seconds, Pidove had eagerly won the battle. The scientist stepped out of the way and I climbed up the ladder, retrieving the book and flipping to the back.

_This is a book about locomotives. Flame burns inside its body, and it gives off smoke from its head while it runs by using steam power!_

There was another memo on the back cover, Lenora's handwriting crawling across the paper.

_It's impressive you found this book! That's what I'd expect from a challenger like you! Here's the third question: If you heat it up in a pot, it'll be delicious. What is this? Your hint: the book is on a book shelf closer to the entrance than here!_

I slipped the book back into its spot and jogged to the bookshelves near the entrance, this time going to the bookshelf on the right. I climb the ladder and snatched a worn book called _Sweets for Pokémon_, thinking that it must have whatever what was called delicious if heated in a pot. I scanned through the books, finding paragraphs and paragraphs of sweets and photographs. I scan the back of the book.

_There are sweets called _Poffins _made from berries in the faraway Sinnoh region, and Pokémon love them. _

There was another memo as I noticed it flutter down to my feet. I picked it up and read it, the final question before I would battle Lenora.

_Did you manage to get here without being tricked by the questions? Here is the last and final question: from this bookshelf, move two backward, move one to the left, move two forward, move one to the right, and move one backward. Now, where is the bookshelf? Your hint? Find it yourself!_

I tucked the book back onto its spot and tried to calculate what book shelf I was supposed to be going to. The first hint was move two backward, which greatly confused me. There was no backward, I mean, there weren't two bookshelves behind me. I just ended up ignoring that part and followed the rest.

I counted the bookshelves and followed the instructions. Eventually I ended up right back where that little girl was, the school kid. I said I needed now to go to that bookshelf and she asked for a battle. I puffed my cheeks and agreed anyway, knowing, again, that I had no choice.

It was a simple battle, an easy win.

She stepped off the ladder and I stepped on.

I reached for that book the school girl was reading earlier, _The Biology of Tepig. _

_Flame burns inside its body, and it gives off flame from its nostrils. When it's not feeling well, it gives off only smoke instead. _

I spotted the last memo.

_You've managed to get here. Well done! You seem to have wisdom as well as strength! I looked forward to our battle! ~Gym Leader Lenora._

I heard a faint clicking sound as I saw and pressed the switched under the book.

With a groan, the bookshelf began to move and I quickly stepped off the ladder, trying to get away from the moving bookshelf. Little by little, I saw the hidden staircase underneath. The bookshelf finally stopped moving, the books on top of it sliding.

I stared at it in awe, moving closer to it. With caution, I began to slowly climb down the stairs.

Towards the end of the staircase, I began to see light and glass cases with artifacts in them. I approached the glass boxes and peered into them, amazed.

"Who are you?" a voiced asked. I looked up and saw Lenora on the other side of the glass cases.

"I'm Blaise White," I said shyly. Lenora smiled at me and her eyes sparkled with recognition.

"Did you say White?" she asked with excitement. I nodded.

"You must be Will's daughter!" she exclaimed. I was shocked.

_She knew my father. _

Lenora sighed.

"Your father and mother used to help with archeological studies and fossils before you were born. Then they had you and by that time your father was a legend around here in Unova and several other regions," she said. I smiled.

"Wow, my mother never told me about the archeological stuff," I said, amazed. Lenora smiled and then raised her eyebrow at me.

"Are you here to challenge me?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Hmm, I'm actually looking forward to this. Let see if you can live up to your father's expectations," she said as she waltzed over to the battle field. I trailed behind her, taking my place.

"It's going to be a two-on-two. Here's who you'll be battling against!" she said as she twirled two Pokéballs in the air. The air flashed white quickly and I saw a Watchog and a Lillipup. Lenora's Lillipup barked happily and wagged its tail.

"A two-on-two? Ok. Pidove, you'll go first. Snivy, you're next. Sorry, Lily, you're not going to fight this battle, ok?" Lily gave a gruff bark but nodded reluctantly. Pidove flew down off of my shoulder and began to fly around my head, quickly taking her spot after.

"A Pidove? You're going to fight Normal vs. Normal?" Lenora asked. I smiled.

"Pidove is also a Flying Pokémon," I countered. She raised an eyebrow and her Watchog stepped back, her Lillipup growling and prepared to battle.

"Lillipup, Take Down!" she yelled.

"Fly out of the way!" I yelled.

I had to give credit to Lenora's Lillipup, it could really jump high. Fortunately, Pidove flew all the way to the top of the ceiling just to avoid the attack, which was a bit too much.

"Good one! Now, Quick Attack!" I shouted. Pidove looked at me in shock and chirped wildly, angered.

"WHAT? Are you serious?" I asked. She chirped even more, fear in her chirps.

"Why are you scared of Lillipup?" I asked, shocked. Snivy whispered in my ear, careful so that Lenora and her Pokémon couldn't hear her or notice her.

"She said that Lillipup wants to kill her," Snivy said. I smacked my forehead with the bottom of my palm.

"Pidove, Lillipup is not going to kill you," I said, trying to convince her. She chirped even more, going on and on.

"She said that it looks like he wants to kill her," Snivy translated. I sighed.

"I promise you that Lillipup is not going to kill you. What it's trying to do it knock you out so Lenora can win, which _we_ don't want to happen. No offense, Lenora," I added quickly. Lenora laughed.

"Pidove, why are you so scared of battling Lillipup? You battled against that young man's Tympole very well!" Lenora exclaimed. Pidove looked at Lenora with surprise as I did, too.

"You saw?" I asked.

"Of course! Quite an interesting battle! You're father would have been proud of you, Blaise!" Lenora exclaimed. I gave a shy smile and turned to Pidove.

"Pidove, you can do this. Come on," I urged. She gave a nervous chirp and hovered closer down. I smiled and began the battle again.

"Pidove, quick attack!" I yelled.

"Avoid it!" Lenora screamed.

Pidove dived toward Lillipup. As Lillipup attempted to avoid the attack, she moved at the last minute with Pidove hitting Lillipup's shoulder. Pidove chirped in happiness and hovered a few feet away from Lillipup.

"Lillipup, bite!" Lenora yelled.

"Avoid it!"

Lillipup was at an advantage since Pidove was in range. She jumped up and latched her teeth on Pidove's wings, dragging Pidove down.

"Pidove! Get Lillipup off of you!" I yelled. She began shaking her wings wildly and suddenly, she used her other wing to slice the air, causing Lillipup to be cut by the slices of air. She growled and released.

"Do that move again! Air Cutter!" I yelled.

Pidove was obviously angered about her wings getting hurt as she hurled sharp, slices of air toward Lillipup. Lillipup yelped and slid across the ground toward Lenora.

"Lillipup, come on, Take Down!" Lenora ordered.

"Quick attack!" I yelled.

Both Pokémon were racing to each other. Together, they both made contact with another. A little cloud of dust burst and I awaited the results as the dust cleared.

Lillipup wobbled on his legs and, finally, collapsed as Pidove breathed hard. She trilled happily and slowly flew towards me, her injured wing hurting her. I pulled out her Pokémon ball.

"You were good! Come on, time to go back into you ball."

The air flashed as she was summoned back into the ball.

Lenora stared at me with astonishment and gave a laugh.

"Come on, Watchog," Lenora said as Watchog took its place and returned Lillipup to its Pokéball.

"Wow, Blaise. Your technique isn't as different as your father's, but you seem to have significant differences from him as well. I like it," Lenora quoted, raising an eyebrow. I gave a half smile as Snivy slithered to her spot. The two seemed to be having a stare-down, as they stared with determined looks.

"Leaf Tornado, Snivy!" I cried out. Snivy jumped and landed on her tail, extending her arms out and twirling around and around. She quickly built up speed and hurled the tornado at Watchog. Watchog was suddenly surprised and looked for an escape. With it not being able to find one, it was sucked in the tornado. Watchog spun in it and fell flat on its face when the speed of the tornado slowed. It brought itself back up, weakened. If we continued to use this move, or maybe even Vine Whip, we'd win easily.

"Retaliate!" Lenora yelled, a smirk on her face. Watchog lunged at Snivy but she dodged it roughly. The move seemed powerful. Lenora gasped but recomposed herself. She wasn't counting on Snivy's speed.

"Snivy, Vine Whip!" I yelled.

"Avoid!"

Snivy's vines came out and snapped at their air and then snapped at Watchog's head, but one missed. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands.

"Retaliate!"

"Avoid!"

Snivy had trouble avoiding this attack and as Watchog lunged at her, he hit her body with such a force that Snivy's body rolled for a few seconds.

"Snivy! Are you ok? Come on, get up! Come on! You can do this!" I urged, trying to convince myself that she was ok. She tried to pull herself up and her arms wobbled wildly. I bit my lip and tasted the faint tang of copper. Lillipup growled at Watchog and whined for Snivy to get up.

"What was that attack?" I asked as Snivy struggled to get up.

"That was Retaliate. The move doubles in power if a Pokémon before it that belongs to its Trainer is unable to battle," Lenora said, confident. I grounded my teeth. I was in huge trouble now. If Lenora hits Snivy with that attack or another strong one, Snivy was going to get knocked out.

"Come on, Snivy, just a little more! Leaf Tornado!" I cried out.

She began to spin on her tail. The tornado was still immensely fast, but it looked weaker. She hurled the tornado at Watchog and it got sucked in, spinning helplessly around and around, falling this time on its back as it got dropped out of the tornado. Maybe one more tornado would make it faint…?

"Retaliate!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" I screamed at Snivy, I planted my feet on the ground and stopped myself from trying to protect Snivy from the attack.

Everything moved in slow motion in my eyes. Snivy tried to dance out of the way as Watchog sped to Snivy. I watched at Snivy took matters into her own hand. Quick as a whisper, her vines were unleashed and she snapped them around Watchog and pounded him to the ground, right as Watchog slammed into her vines with a tremendous force. Her vines were injured along with her and Watchog seemed to be greatly weakened with the force of hitting the ground. Snivy flinched repeatedly as her vines came back to her and Watchog flinched repeatedly as he tried to push himself up. He wobbled to his feet and breathed heavily with Snivy.

They stared at each other with such hatred.

They glared at each other and Watchog cried out, fainting.

"I won!" Snivy screamed.

I ran to her and hugged her.

"You won!" I praised her. Pidove trilled happily and Lily barked. We were definitely going to celebrate at the restaurant with Bianca and Cheren. Suddenly, I wondered why Lenora hadn't come up to me to give me my badge.

Then it registered.

I turned to look at Lenora slowly and she stared at me with utter shock.

_She heard Snivy. _

I had forgotten that I never took it off her, or at least turned it off after she whispered to me about Pidove.

Lenora knew my secret.

I swiftly ran up to Lenora and began to tear up.

"Please don't tell anyone! I made this device that enables us to understand what Pokémon are saying and the one Snivy is wearing is the prototype and I'm working on the second one and I just want anyone to find out about this yet and I'm a bit jealous of this guy who can understand Pokémon without a machine and I was planning one day to tell him so he could stop crushing me with 'your Pokémon said' and asking me to battle in weird ways because he's a bit weird and his name is _N _which is really weird but he has really beautiful eyes that for some reason seems familiar which I don't know why and he frees his Pokémon after he battles me which really amazes me but confuses me at the same time, because doesn't he feel a connection to them somehow?" I rambled. With my mind speeding it took me a while to register that I was mostly rambling on and on about N, instead of my device.

Instead of kicking me out or calling me a weirdo, Lenora laughed. She laughed heartily, a pure laugh that made her seem trustworthy.

"So you made this device to make someone jealous?" she asked.

"Yes. No! I mean, I made it before I even met him," I confessed.

"You know you could probably be rolling around money right now?" she laughed.

"Really?"

"You could probably be rolling around diamonds or jewels if you wanted to!" she exclaimed.

"I know but…"

"But…"

"I think I'm selfish. I don't want to tell anybody about it. My own mother doesn't even know. I want to keep it all to myself. I just like the feeling of being…_special. _To be the one and only of hearing and understanding Pokémon. It's a fascinating feeling and I just don't think I would trade that in for money," I said, ashamed.

I'm such a brat.

Slowly, trailing after one another, tears fell and I wiped them away quickly, only to be hugged by Lenora. The hug was comforting, motherly. Lenora pushed me back.

"Oh, honey. There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone wants their own little corner of the universe, something that they can call theirs and only theirs. You're just one among many."

I sniffled. "Really?"

"Really."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

She quickly brought out a case that was lined with velvet. In it, was the badge of Nacrene City. I took it carefully and placed it in my Gym Badge Case. Then I switched the case for the book and held it in front of Lenora.

"I was wondering if I could borrow this for a few days," I admitted. She took the book and flipped through it.

"'_The Legends of the Sinnoh Region'_? Huh. Can I ask why you need it?"

I sighed. "I need to research the Pokémon called Giratina. I wanted to look through it, and maybe see if I could find something connected to its world, where my dad is lost…" I said slowly. Her face softened. She handed the book back.

"Of course you can borrow it."

I was about to say thank you when Hawes busted into the room, screaming and yelling hysterically.

"_There's a group of assholes who are trying to steal our Dragon Skull!_" he screamed. Quick as a blink, with no second thoughts, Lenora dashed up the stairs with Hawes leading her and me following the both of them.

When we arrived to the center of the museum, Team Plasma was awaiting us.

I guess food was going to have to wait.

* * *

A/N: ooooooooooh! Team Plasma is back again, which sucks for Blaise because she's effing hungry. N was in this chappie *squeals* I'm like, totally in love with him :P If N was real, I think I would stalk him O.o ….don't act like you guys wouldn't. Well, finally, someone knows Blaise's secret, and it's her mom's old best friend. Actually, there is a trio. Lenora, Blaise's Mom, and a mystery girl, which I promise you guys will meet in the….*thinks*…7th or 8th or 9th chappie. Heh-Heh, I'm evil like that. Maybe sooner but who knows. Me. Please review, I love it when you guys do. Review and get a shoutout! Oh and by the way, I hope you guys aren't for Cheren-x-Blaise or something. Guys, please review like crazy. I love it when you guys do. It awesome and it makes me feel awesome and it makes me feel like my story is awesome. Oh, and snaps for Hawes for calling Team Plasma a 'group of assholes' *snaps fingers* SO now everyone knows that Lenora is the only person who knows about Blaise's Secret. And I promise you, the _HIM _that's coming soon in a particular chapter will be soon revealed. Sooooon.


	6. The First Sage and the Skull

A/N: Here is chapter six! The shortest yet! Lol. I thought it would be longer but I guess not. _HIM _is finally revealed! Yay!

Shout-outs to:

Peppermint Wings-Thanks! A lot of cussing in your review but thank you! Really! Ha-ha

sailor phoenix black- Thanks for loving my story! Here's another update! I actually do want to do a little one-chaptered fluff for N-x-Blaise, but I'm having a little bit of trouble finding out what exactly it should be about or what's gonna happen, etc. Ha-ha, the mystery person is neither, it's a girl.

LunarKitty1995-haha, I do too. *sigh* if only N was real. Thanks for loving this story! Yes, I have much fun writing these stories, yay! Ha-ha, but its only fun cause my reviewers are AWESOME!

DragonFire Princess-thanks for loving my story! Here's the update, enjoy!

* * *

**The First Sage and the Skull **

My stomach rumbled softly as I stared with deep hatred and curiosity at the Team Plasma Grunts. Lenora stared at the grunts and began yelling at them.

"Now, you wait! Enough fooling around!" she yelled at them. Snivy itched with agitation on top of my hat; she was ready to knock out the Grunts. A Grunt spoke up.

"So, you have come, Gym Leader," he began. "We, Team Plasma, claim this Museum's Dragon Skull in the name of Pokémon Liberation!" I took a step toward him.

"Hold on. That isn't even yours! It belongs to Lenora and Hawes and the Museum! You can't steal it! You can't be serious!" I argued. The other Grunt looked at me with a face contorted with mischief. My hand itched to slap it away.

"Oh, but we are. We are very serious, and to show you that we are, we shall steal it right in front of your very own eyes!" he taunted. The other Grunt began to speak. "Well, then, here's our _Smoke Screen_!"

The other Grunts yelled in unison, "PLASMAAAA!"

Smoke began to cloud our vision and sneak its way into our throats as Snivy attempted to perform _Vine Whip. _Sadly, she missed due to the smoke. I batted the smoke away as Lenora and Hawes did the same. The smoke cleared and I stared at the large skeleton.

The head was gone!

Lenora gasped and stepped slowly toward the skeleton.

"What is going on?" she cried. Suddenly, she zoomed out the museum, obviously trying to chase the Grunts of Team Plasma though they were already gone. Hawes called out to Lenora but she didn't hear. He approached me instead. "Oh! Oh! Blaise, we must go after them! Lenora loves that skull…" he cried out.

I ran after Lenora. After passing the museum doors, I saw Lenora looking both ways, trying to find an inkling of where Team Plasma may have gone. I approached Lenora and then saw a guy coming in from the direction of the café. He approached Lenora and what stood out about him the most was his…clothing. I just wanted to a giggle a bit, but I stifled it, we had a skull to worry about. He seemed happy with his smile on his face as he greeted her.

"Good day, Lenora! Have you found any good fossils lately?" he inquired. Lenora momentarily forgot about her dragon skull.

"This is a surprise visit! Are you suffering from artist's block again?" she asked. Was he a painter? Lenora suddenly snapped her attention back to me. "Blaise! This is Burg! He may not look it, but he is the Castelia City Gym Leader." I gawked at Burg.

_He was the Castelia City Gym Leader? _

He looked at me. "…Eh? Just looking for a change in pace. Seems hectic around here. What's up?" he asked. Lenora broke out of her peaceful calm and her eyes looked wild.

"What's up? I'll tell you what's up! Someone just walked away with an exhibit!"

"It was a tiny group of Team Plasma members. They've been causing problems in Striaton's City Dreamyard and around Route 3," I explained. Burg burrowed his brows as I heard a gasp behind me.

"What did Team Plasma do this time?" someone yelled. I turned around and recognized the familiar blonde hair.

"Bianca!" I said. She gave me a half smile.

"Hey, Blaisey. What's happened?" she asked, turning to Lenora.

Out of nowhere, Cheren suddenly appeared as he took his place next to Bianca.

"Is there some kind of problem?" he asked. I was about to answer when Lenora noticed their presence.

"Who are those two?" she asked quickly. I motioned to the both of them.

"This is Bianca, my cousin. And he's Cheren, my best friend. We're a little group but we stray from each other a lot in traveling city to city. We were supposed to meet her for a quick late lunch," I answered. She gave a quick nod.

"I see. So, they're Trainers? Ok, then. We should split up and search. I'll head this way," she began. She took a quick step toward Route 3 and suddenly stopped.

"Everyone! Cheren and Bianca please stay here at the museum," she said. She turned to me and added, "Burgh and Blaise, the both of you search Pinwheel Forest! Understand? Burgh, I entrust you to lead Blaise there. I'm counting on everyone!" Lenora dashed away quickly.

We were left in a stunned silence. Burgh turned to me slowly.

"You're Blaise, I believe, right? Are you ready to collect some robbers?" Burgh asked. He left me before I could answer. I scowled and said to myself, "I can't believe he just left me! We're supposed to team up and search the area together, aren't we?"

Lillipup growled in agreement.

Cheren laughed and Bianca giggled.

"You better catch up to him," Cheren said. I rolled my eyes and began to stalk away, but Cheren grabbed the back of my vest to stop me.

"What?" I sighed in annoyance.

"Do you want to explain what happened here?" he asked. I blinked at him.

"Right," I mumbled. I turned to the two of them and shrugged toward the museum.

"Team Plasma stole a Dragonite Skull from the museum. We're supposed to find them and get it back while you two guard the museum," I explained. Bianca gasped in horror.

"Oh no! Come on, Cheren!" she gasped as she grabbed his wrist and towed him to the entrance of the building. I smirked behind them.

"Have fun!" I teased. Cheren looked behind himself and returned the smirk.

"Make sure you flirt the _correct way_ if you see that green guy N, will you?" he teased.

I threw him a snarl.

"Lay off!" I yelled. He laughed it away as I quickly headed to the PokéCenter.

* * *

I jogged to where Burg was, in the streets in the outskirts of Nacrene City.

"This is Pinwheel Forest. If they manage to scuttle off into the forest, we might have trouble," he said as he walked to the entrance of Pinwheel Forest.

"Again? You walked away without me, _again?"_ I growled to myself. I stomped after him into the entrance. After a minute, a saw him again and raced up to him.

He better not leave like that again.

"Well, you see… there are two ways out of Pinwheel Forest—the road the goes straight and the path that winds through the woods," he began. He turned around to the face the other way. "I will take the straight road after them! If they're not there, I'll block the exit. Would you please take the other way and check whether Team Plasma is hiding in there anywhere? You might run into a lot of Trainers, but it's basically a single path, so I'm sure you won't get lost. Come on! Let's do this for Lenora's sake!"

He left.

I fumed in fury as I balled my fists.

"He left again," I told my Pokémon with agitation.

"_Wow_," a cute, shrill voice replied. I assumed it was Pidove's voice I heard. I glanced at her and saw that she had the PokéTalker around her ankle. I sighed.

"You know, I can't wait to pound that guy in a Gym Battle," I muttered as I plodded through the forest.

* * *

We were on a roll.

The four of us already battle twins, other trainers, and an annoying grunt who called me a stubborn brat. He was easily beaten and claimed he didn't have anything, also saying that I was a kid on an ego-trip. I was sure to shove his words down his throat.

We trotted through more forest and wild grass and found another grunt. Lillipup was sure to show no mercy to her weak Purrloin. She stated how I was soooo _jealous _of her _cool _outfit. As rude as it was, I made sure to gag when she said it.

"_Why are grunts so easy to beat_?" Pidove shrilled.

I shrugged.

"'Cause they suck," I retorted. Snivy laughed along with Lily.

We walked some more and were surprised to find an unused antidote within a broken tree truck. Right near it was a rather large hollow tree truck over a ravine between here and the other side. I felt nauseous for a moment, not feeling well enough to cross it with my nervous nerves. Pidove, aware of my phobia, landed on the forest floor. She quickly strutted through the hollowed out tree to show that it was safe. Lillipup and Snivy followed after her, trying to show me that it was trustworthy. I sucked it up, my fear I meant, and began to cautiously cross through it. I yelped loudly as it wobbled a bit and raced through it. We fought a few rangers before we climbed up another truck. I yelped again and climbed up the trunk, only to be greeted by a grunt. I frowned at him and stood up, hands on hip.

"Listen, do you have the skull or not?" I growled.

"I can't tell you."  
"I'll take that as a no. Move out my way," I snarled as I tried to push pass him. He seized my vest to stop me. He spun me around and released his Pokémon, Snivy knocking it out as soon as it was out. The grunt stared at me in shock and I slapped him away. The four of us continued to rush away, going down another trunk. We found another lost item and stuffed it into my bag as we tried to find the skull.

We battled another ranger and crawled through another truck, me having no apprehension of this one due to the fact that it was flat on the ground. We came out the end and I saw a grunt. We came across a clearing as we strode over to the Grunt. He must have the skull.

"A pursuer? Uh, ha ha! A kid like you—hammered some of us? That can't be helped, but… I'll take you on now!" He sent out a Patrat and Pidove knocked it out with only two attacks which were _Gust_.

Snivy began to battle his Sandile next, her Leaf Tornado knocking it out with one hit.

Lillipup was next, battling another of his Patrats. With little difficulty, Lillipup managed to knock out his second Patrat. We had overpowered him and I began to step closer to the Grunt who was still shocked at being beat so easily. The perfume of the flowers wafted gently through the air as the Grunt quivered with anger.

"Give me the skull," I snarled.

"Fine. Take your stupid skull!" he yelled. He tossed the skull to me rudely as I barely managed to catch it as it made its way down to the soft grass. I stuffed the skull carefully in my bag as the Grunt backed up.

"So the dream our king had—the dream we had—won't come true…" he growled lightly.

"Shut up," I muttered as I had difficulty stuffing the skull in the bag. I just about gave up shoving the skull in my bag when I pushed lightly out of the way. I gave a little _oof _as I noticed a strangely dressed man take his place. He wore a dark brown-green robe with a yellow neck line. Near the neckline was the Team Plasma insignia. He wore a circular cap the same color as his robe atop his head. He was bald but his eyebrows and mustache were a shiny white. He took a look at me but then cast his glace over to the angered Grunt.

"How are we holding up, fellow servant of our king?" he asked.

"Gorm of the Seven Sages! I'm mortified that the skull, which we went to so much trouble to obtain, was stolen from us so easily!" he said with anger and shock. Gorm glanced at me again and I was sure to smirk and hold up the skull in my hands as I gave it a little shake to mock him. His lips twitched as he turned to the Grunt saying, "It's not important. We can afford to abandon the Dragon Skull. According to the results of our research, this is not the legendary Pokémon for which Team Plasma is looking. It is completely unrelated." He then pushed aside the Grunt to stand in front of me. He gave me a stern look, adding, "But we will not allow anyone to disrupt our plans and get away with it. We will fix it so you never interfere with us again."

As I slowly became scared of Gorm, I felt a comforting rustle beside me.

Burgh.

"Oh, sweet! The bug Pokémon were getting all worked up, so here I come, and what do I spy with my little eye? This important-looking guy! Are you here to help you friends, whom I defeated?" he sang. I gave him a side-ways glance with annoyance and a twang of relief as I heard quick footsteps as someone ran out of the log to join us at the clearing.

"Blaise! Burgh!" Lenora exclaimed. "The others didn't have anything… And who are you supposed to be?" she asked Gorm. She turned to me and Burgh and added, "Is this guy the big boss?"

I opened my mouth to explain to Lenora when Gorm spoke. "I am one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Ghetsis, another of the Seven Sages, will liberate Pokémon with words alone! The remainder of the Seven Sages has ordered their compatriots to take Pokémon with full force! But the odds are a little against us now. To you, the Bug Pokémon user Burgh and the Normal Pokémon user Lenora, I say… know your enemies, know yourself, and you need not fear the result of a hundred battles…"

"Agreed," I snarled to Gorm. He threw me a livid look.

"This time, we shall retreat quietly. To secure the liberation of Pokémon, we will steal Pokémon from Trainers! Even though you are Gym Leaders, we will not tolerate any further hindrance from you. In any case, we will settle this someday. I hope you are looking forward to that time as much as I…"

"We are," the three of us simultaneously said.

Gorm and the Grunt went out on their way.

Lenora turned to us.

"They're a speedy bunch," she muttered. She turned to Burgh and added, "What are you planning to do, Burgh? Are you going to chase them?"

Burgh turned to Lenora. "Hmmm… We got back the stolen skull, and if we corner them, there's no telling what they might do. I think I'll be heading back, Lenora..." he said. He turned to me.

"Well, now. Well… I'll be waiting for your challenge at Castelia City's Pokémon Gym. Yes, indeed. I'm certainly looking forward to it!" he said, then left. I blew my bangs out of my eyes with annoyance and then laughed at myself for no apparent reason, other than the fact that Burgh was quick to leave and announce he was looking forward to our battle. The sky darkened lightly as Lenora approached me.

"Blaise! You're holding the Dragon Skull you worked so hard to obtain to get back, right?"

"Oh! Yeah, here you go," I said as I passed Lenora the skull. She sighed in relief and said, "Blaise, thank you so much! With a kind Trainer like you taking care of them, the Pokémon with you must be happy." My Pokémon cried out in agreement. Lenora smiled at them "Here is a token of my gratitude. Please use it carefully!" she finished as she passed me a rough stone.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's a Moon Stone! Some Pokémon evolve when you use this item on them. Now, I must take the Dragon Skull back to the museum! Take care of yourself!"

"Oh, thank you! Bye, Lenora!"

"Bye!" she said as she left. I watched her leave and decided to leave Pinwheel Forest and head back to Nacrene City to meet with Bianca and Cheren for our late, late lunch.

"Time to eat food!" I exclaimed happily.

"_Yay_!" Pidove trilled as Snivy and Lily cried out in happiness. I laughed my way out of Pinwheel Forest.

* * *

The three of us decided to eat at the Café Warehouse which was right beside the Gym. We settled ourselves at the outdoor tables as the waiter retrieved out orders as the Pokémon ate sweet berries.

"So what happened out there?" Bianca asked.

"There was another weirdo like Ghetsis, and turns out, there are seven in total," I said as I scrunched my nose.

"That must be a bother," Cheren said. I nodded.

We sipped our drinks as we chewed greedily.

I finished describing what happened over at Pinwheel Forest when Bianca spoke up.

"You know, it seems like Blaise keeps getting involved in Team Plasma mischief. First, the speech, and then the Dreamyard, followed by the kidnap Pokémon of that little girl, and finally the skull," she chimed.

"It's not like I'm finding trouble, Bianca," I snapped. "It just I'm always there, like a…"

"Innocent bystander?" Cheren finished.

"Exactly," I agreed.

There was a moment of silence before Cheren said, "Well, you're getting involved in a lot of things, excluding Team Plasma." He smirked.

"Excuse me?" I snapped as I chomp on a French fry.

"I saw you talk to that guy N after I left," he said.

"What?" Bianca screeched. She turned to Cheren and said, "What happened? Tell me what happened!" She seemed a little excited.

"Nothing happened, Bianca. We talked and battled. That's it," I told her, annoyed with her excitement. Cheren laughed and I punched his shoulder. He gave a loud _Ow _as I chastised him.

"That's for spying on me," I said. He continued to laugh as I scowled at him.

"Why are you always so offended when I talk about him?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow and calmly said to him, "Do you want me to spill all you secrets to Bianca right now?" I asked. He paled quickly and muttered no.

"Then don't ask me that question," I replied.

"What secrets?" Bianca asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," I said. Bianca frowned but shrugged it off. We finished the remains of our food and paid the bill together. We decided that the three of us would go to Castelia together.

This time I was sure to turn the Pokétalk off.

* * *

We entered the gate separating Pinwheel Forest from the Skyarrow Bridge. Bianca and I exclaimed in delight as we ran up the stairs of the bridge with Cheren following closely behind. After many meters, our feet were in pain again and our steps became heavy. We laughed at ourselves and took slower steps as the cars underneath the walkway sped past, the boats doing the same under the bridge.

Not quickly enough, we began to see the sky line as the sky darkened noticeably. Soon after, we passed the gates into Castelia City. As we walked into the city, Bianca and I plopped down on a bench, only to be pulled off of it by Cheren.

"Our feet are hurting! Please, Cheren, give us like five minutes," Bianca and I whined. Cheren rolled his eyes but settled on the bench between Bianca and me. The three of us leaned back into the bench and sighed.

"So what happened between N and Blaise, Cheren?" she asked him. Cheren opened his mouth to answer.

"Drop it," I muttered to the both of them.

"Do you think they would make a cute couple?" Bianca sang.

"No," Cheren snickered.

"Bianca," I warned.

They finally dropped the subject.

"So where's you aunt and uncle's house?" I asked.

"They live on one of the floors in one of those buildings," Cheren said.

"Ok. Bianca, ready to go?" I asked. She sighed and muttered a yes.

The three of us pushed ourselves off the bench as we followed Cheren over to the buildings. Bianca and I unintentionally slowed him down by sight-seeing and wandering about. It became so bad that Cheren had grabbed both our hands tightly to tow us. As we walked—dragged actually—we spotted a stand selling ice cream known as Castelia Cones. I gave a sideways glace to Cheren, remembering our conversation over at Route 3. That he was going to ask Bianca if she wanted ice cream.

And he said something about a guy who was going to ask me out for ice cream.

"Who is _him?_" I asked innocently.

"You'll meet _him _soon enough," Cheren laughed.

"Is the bet still on?" Bianca asked.

"Yep," Cheren said.

"Can I at least know what the bet is about?" I begged.

"No, cause then you could make either of us win or lose," Bianca sang. I sighed in defeat.

We finally approached a building and entered, the lobby welcoming us. Just as we entered the elevator, Cheren's X-transceiver began to ring. He glanced at it and muttered _crap _before he pressed talk.

"I can't talk to you now, _she's_ with me! We're almost there, we're in the elevator. My word of advice, don't approach _her_ _too_ fast. She probably doesn't trust you!" he rapidly said. He hung up before the person on the other line spoke back.

"_Don't approach _her too _fast?" _I repeated with confusion.

"Just trying to help the guy," he quickly replied. He tapped his foot with impatience as we continued going up. He suddenly turned to Bianca.

"You know, _he'll_ probably beat me up if Blaisey says no or does something ruder," he said as he paled. Bianca laughed.

"No _he_ won't," she replied.

Cheren continued to fidget for the rest of the ride up. We finally stopped and were led to the only door on the left side of the hallway. The three of approached it and I was told to knock, not bothering to question it. Quickly after the first pound of the knock, the door swung open.

And I became paralyzed.

Before me was a sixteen year old guy with sandy-blonde hair, his hair falling over his eyes beautifully. His eyes shone an ice blue and stared down at me with him being a head taller than me. His shoulders were broad and his muscles were made known through his clothes. His lustrous tan skin shined bright as his sexy and perfect smile hailed down at me. His eyes swirled endless, begging for me to be caught in them.

But as handsome as he was, my first reaction was anger.

Too quickly and abruptly, he took several steps toward me. The sudden movement scared me, and after years of being prey, I finally turned into predator.

"Blaise," he breathed as he moved his hand out to me. I yelped as he made his way to touch me and by instinct, punched him square in the jaw.

"Don't touch me!" I screeched as I ran out of the hallway to the elevator.

Years of bullying and torment returned to me from the recesses of my mind as I jabbed the down button of the side panel to the entrance of the elevator. It opened quickly and I pushed myself in. I shut it close and jabbed the button that would lead me to the lobby.

I noticed that Lily now had the Pokétalk and she had managed to turn it on.

"_Was that…?" _she began.

"That was _Ryan,"_ I gasped.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! She punched Ryan, ooooh! So they finally reached Castelia City and they're going to stay there for a few days. Apparently, Ryan is someone in her past from when her dad was alive and he was, as you can say, used to be her bully. But you know what mothers say, right? If the guy hits you or is rude to you, he probably likes you. And in this case, it is true. So to tell you the truth, Ryan is _him. _Blaise is going to have a hard trusting him but she won't have that much trouble :). Also, Ryan is made by me and going to help me with making N and Blaise's relationship more interesting. Hee-hee! Please review! Review and get a shoutout! I love you guys mucho! Mwah!


	7. Chocolate Chip Cookies

A/N: Another short chapter, well more a filler.

Shout outs to-

sailor phoenix black- thanks for your review! Haha, neither! Thanks for calling my story good, means a lot to me. Here's the update!

DragonFire Princess- thanks for loving my story! Here's chappie seven!

ElagantFrost- OMG! THANKS! Haha, mine's not crappy (yay!)! :D I LOVE N ROMANCE!

BGPixieQueen77-…keep reading….XD

Juniper114- THANKS FOR LOVING MY STORY! I LOVE N! Thanks for liking Blaise :) Please keep reading!

(Review and get a shoutout)

* * *

**Chocolate Chip Cookies**

_Four children roamed about in one of the child's backyard. A girl with short blonde hair climbed up a latter and slid down on the slide attached to the latter. A boy with black hair followed the little blonde girl. They always played together except for the times when the little girl chose to play with the other girl instead, but he always followed her. The other girl, the one with brown hair and blue eyes, had chosen to laugh happily while swinging up high on a swing. She screamed in delight as the wind made her hair flutter behind her as she swung up higher each time. Another boy, one with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, stood watching the girl on the swing, how she enjoyed such little things. _

_Out of nowhere, the boy suddenly decided to grab the girl's swing and jerk it, the girl flying off as a result. The girl landed on her ankle and screamed out in pain as she clutched her leg. The boy walked up to the girl and laughed as hot tears rolled quickly over her cheeks. _

"_Why did you do that?" she hollered._

"_That was my swing!" he shouted back._

"_No, it's not, it's Cheren," she cried. _

_The boy immediately felt bad and had an urge to apologize, but he didn't. He knew that the girl didn't like him. He knew that she hated him, so he decided to make her feel bad._

"_Yeah, but it's mine when I'm here!" he shouted. The five year old girl shook in pain as her cousin took her side. She knelt beside her and tried to pull her up, but the girl couldn't stand. The blonde girl stared daggers toward the six year old boy and shouted, "Ryan! You're such a big bully!" _

_He pushed the blonde girl down and she screamed as she stood up to smack the guy's arms and legs. _

"_Get off me!" Ryan screamed as Bianca pinned him down. The boy with the black hair pried Bianca off his cousin as he stepped between them. _

"_Ryan! Leave them alone!"_

"_Shut up, Cheren!" he cried out. _

"_That's a mean word!" Bianca screamed as she pushed past Cheren to attack Ryan._

_A flurry of worried parents ran to the little fight as a flushed woman pulled Bianca to her as a man with blonde hair the same as Ryan's grabbed Ryan off of Bianca. _

_The two children flailed in their parents arms and slumped soon after._

"_What is going on here?" a worried mother with brown hair asked. _

"_Ryan pushed Blaise off the swing!" Bianca tattled. _

"_Is that true, Ryan?" the older blonde man asked his son. Ryan looked away, ashamed. _

"_You're grounded, young man. C'mon lets go back to your cousin's house, we need to have a talk," the older man grumbled, dragging the boy inside. _

_The woman with blonde hair and another with brown hair approached Blaise as she whimpered in pain. _

"_What's wrong, sweetie?" the concerned mother asked her daughter._

"_My ankle hurts!" she whined._

_The mother inspected Blaise's ankle. _

"_Uh no, sweetie. You twisted it. Rosabel, can you go get Will?"_

_Rosabel nodded and took Bianca with her as they raced to a large house. Cheren stared after Bianca and settled himself beside Blaise._

"_You ok, Blaisey?" he asked._

"_No," she sniffed. _

_Quickly after, a broad shouldered man with brown hair and blue eyes shifted Blaise into his arms as she flinched at the movement. She whimpered and the broad shouldered man softly shushed her as he carried his daughter back to their home as Maribel, the mother, followed. _

"_How did this happen?" Will asked his daughter as they entered their home._

"_Ryan pushed me off the swing set," she sniffed. _

"_Really?"_

"_Mmhm."_

_The father placed the girl on the counter as he inspected her ankle. She winced at the extreme pain when he touched the bulge. Will frowned and began tending the injured ankle. _

"_Blaisey, I think he likes you," Will said to Blaise, his voice deep and lined with laughter. Blaise shook her head._

"_He hates me. Last time, he pushed me down in the sandbox and sat on me while pushing my head in the sand. And the time before that he knocked me down from the ladder of the slide," she sniffed. _

"_WHAT?" Maribel screeched._

"_I'm going to have a talk with him and his mother! I can't believe this! Will, that boy is traumatizing our daughter!" she yelled as she stormed out of the house. The little girl paled as her eyes widen._

"_Daddy! Stop mommy! If she tattles, he's going to beat me up more and more worse!" she gasped. Her dad shook his head as he murmured, "You're mother is right to tell his mother about this. That boy needs to learn to respect you and to leave you alone. _

_The little girl shuddered and whimpered in fear. _

"_Blaisey, don't be scared, sweetie. One day, you'll have the strength to fight back. You have such a fiery aura and determination," he hummed as he slid a cast around her ankle. He kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes. Little Blaise wrapped her arms around her dad and held on for dear life. Her father handed her a cookie as she stared at him with awe. _

"_I wanna be just like you, daddy. I wanna be strong and have powerful Pokémon like you and Uncle Alder. I wanna be a hero like you," she whispered. Will smiled and hugged his daughter. _

"_No, Blaise. You're going to be like you, and you're going to be a hero. You'll have your own ideals of the world and there's only one person you should be, and that's yourself."_

"_Ok, daddy," she smiled as she nodded._

"_I love you, Blaisey Lazy."_

"_I love you, too, daddy."_

_Will let go of his daughter as he reached into a jar, pulling out a cookie._

_He held the cookie in front of the girl's face._

"_I love you more than all the cookies you've eaten," he laughed as she gave the girl the cookie. She nibbled on it and replied._

"_I love you more than all the chocolate chips on all the cookies I've eaten."_

_They laughed as her father said, "Touché."_

* * *

"Oh, my God," I cried into my hands as Lily tried to comfort me.

Snivy snuggled herself in my lap as Pidove pecked at my cheeks affectionately, all of them trying to cheer me up.

"_Who's Ryan?" _Pidove trilled.

"He's a boy that bullied me when I was younger, he was such a jerk," I gasped.

The four of us were on a bench at the Unity Pier. It was the first place I saw where I wanted to calm down.

Anger bubbled in me as I shouted at the water, "GO TO HELL, CHEREN! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Snivy jumped at my yells and heard a choke from beside us. I turned around to see a girl my age with wild brown hair and soft, vivid, green eyes.

They were like N's eyes…no, wait, they weren't. Where N's eyes were bright and curious, her eyes were soft, kinder, and more of a lime color. Her eyes were wide and in her arms was a quite large bundle of roses and baby's breath. Her wide eyes looked like full moons as she swallowed loudly.

"Were you yelling at me?" she squeaked.

I gasped. "No! Sorry! I was just—the water—Cheren—bully," I stuttered.

She perked up quickly and I saw the jumble of stones around her neck. Her curly brown hair curled to her waist as she bounced on her heels.

"It's ok. Are you ok?" she asked sweetly.

"Not really," I answered, shaking my head.

"What wrong?" she asked as she took up the space beside me as Lily scooted over so the girl could seat herself. Her eyes looked at me with sympathy, like she wanted to help with whatever troubled me.

"It's nothing," I answered. She frowned but quickly replaced it with a smile.

"Well, if it's nothing, why do you look so sad? Wait, don't answer, it's none of my business. Well, I hope you have a nice day!" she sang. She stood up and adjusted the way she held her many roses and began to walk to the end of the pier. I gave her a quizzical expression as she began to strut down the pier. When she reached the end, she sat on the edge and placed the roses beside her.

She took a deep breath and stared at the setting sun, watching the orange and pinks be replaced with black and purple.

Slowly, one by one, she began to drop the roses into the water. Their beautiful colors danced on water and floated away from her.

From where I was, I could hear her little sniffles and chokes.

"_Is she crying?" _Pidove asked with bewilderment.

"I-I think so," I gasped.

"_Should we try to cheer her up? After all, she tried to cheer you up…" _Pidove reasoned. I bit my lip and nodded as Lily had already begun to trot over to where the girl was. The four of us began to walk down the pier to where the girl was. When we approached her, I kneeled down and tapped her shoulder lightly as she dropped a pink and white rose into the water. She jerked and squeaked in surprise. Her eyes sparkled with tears and wet trails were carved into her cheeks. She quickly wiped her cheeks with her palm and gasped, "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright. Hey, are you alright?" I asked her. She nodded but said, "I was mourning. You see, my Grandmother has been dead for exactly a year now and I was just throwing the roses and baby's breath to symbolize her death, in a way. Her favorite flowers were roses, you see, and she loved the ocean."

I blinked at her.

Her situation was a lot worse than mine, someone in her family died, whereas mine was about a stupid bully.

"Your turn," she laughed softly as she wiped away more tears.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Well, I told you what was wrong with me, and now it's your turn." She half smiled as she tossed a purple rose into the water, a yellow one following after.

I stared at the floating flowers that were drifting farther and farther away.

"A bully has come back to haunt my future, and he wants to take me out for ice cream," I sighed. Saying the words made this whole thing seem ridiculous, and I began to feel sorry for Ryan's jaw. But even as I felt sorry for his jaw, I didn't regret it. He _deserved _it.

The girl laughed and as she spoke, tossed a few more roses.

"I knew I guy like that, he pushed me around because his best friend liked me and I liked his best friend." She threw me a smile over her shoulder as I returned it.

"What happened?" I asked, desperate for the ending of her story. She sighed and looked at me dead in the eye.

"He grew up."

Her answer was confusing, but after a moment, I understood.

She meant that that stage that bullies go through, it doesn't last long, or at least, it didn't for her bully.

"And now, we're good friends. And his best friend is now my boyfriend," she laughed as she picked up a red rose.

She didn't throw it.

Slowly she began to pluck off the petals, one by one. She let the velvet petals slip off her fingers to land gracefully in the water, but halfway through it, she sighed and tossed the whole thing, shaking her head at her actions.

"'_By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower_,'" she quoted.

I nodded slowly as she tossed the last rose into the water.

She slowly stood up as I did the same, Snivy slithering up to my hat and Pidove perching on my shoulder. I picked up Lily to cradle her in my arms.

The girl stuck out her hand and offered it to me as I took it. She shook our hands as she said, "I'm Ivy, by the way. Ivy Snow."

"I'm Blaise. Blaise White," I replied as I retrieved my hand. She gave me a quizzical look but shook it off.

"Nice to meet you, Blaise," she said as she gave me a pearly smile.

With sudden speed, a black and red blur sped around me to approach Ivy. The thing was tiny, only two feet high. It gave a soft growl as it pawed at Ivy's white flip-flops. I gasped in surprise as Ivy laughed. She picked up the little thing as I scanned in into my Pokédex.

"_Zorua, the tricky fox Pokémon. Zorua can change into the appearance of others to surprise others or to defend itself. It often turns into the appearance of a silent child," _the Pokédex chimed. I gaped at it as I noticed that it had a card in its mouth. Ivy simply picked up the Pokémon and retrieved the little card. She opened it and I watched as her eyes sped though the words quickly as she smiled and laughed. She waved the card to me and said, "Someone wants to see you and explain a few things to you."

I stared at her blankly.

"Who?" I asked.

She bit her lip and quickly said, "I hate lying so I'm not going to lie to you about who wants to see you but the card specifically says not to tell you, so I won't. Please forgive me. My boyfriend and his best friend want to meet you, if that helps."

I nodded and began to follow her out of Unity Pier.

"By the way, this is Zee, my Zorua," she chimed. Zee cried out happily as she greeted Pidove, Snivy, and Lily, who cried out a hello back, but I had to make sure I snatched the Pokétalk off of Pidove before she trilled. Thankfully, Ivy didn't pay to much attention to the action.

Ivy began to guide us away from the pier as she began to lead me to a pink and white stand.

As we came closer, Ivy squealed and ran up to a guy seated at a table. As she approached him, the guy suddenly saw her and smiled, then collected Ivy in his arms to kiss her cheek. Ivy returned the kiss as she pecked his cheeks as I saw her Zorua squirm from being squish between the two bodies. The guy released her as she sped toward me to grab my hand to lead me to the guy.

"Blaise, this is Blake, my boyfriend," she said happily.

Blake smiled towards me and gave me a little wave.

Blake had soft brown eyes and hair the same color that was covered in a red, black, and white hat. A bag was slung over his shoulder. He wore a light jacket the color of a soft blue with long black pants, seeming a bit too hot for the spring time. He wore large shoes that matched his hat along with a blue and black Xtransceiver.

"Hi, Blaise. I've heard a lot about you," he said.

"Really? Wait—what? You and Ivy have just met me!" I said, startled.

"Why don't you ever shut up, Blake?" a random, husky voice commented. I gasped and spun around, meeting beautiful, piercing blue eyes.

"Ryan…" I gasped.

"Hi, Blaise," he said softly.

Sadly, I noticed a blue and purple welt on the edge of his jaw. Ivy also saw it.

"Aw! What happened here, Ryan?" she asked tenderly as she approached him.

He blushed and didn't answer.

"Does this hurt?" she taunted as she pressed the contusion.

"Yes! OW! JEEZ, IVY!" he yelled.

Blake hollered in laughter as Ivy joined him.

"How'd you get that, man?" Blake asked after his laughing fit.

Ryan's eyes met mine, only for the both of us to quickly look away.

"Dude, no way! She punched you? AWESOME!" Blake exclaimed.

"Blake!" Ivy chastised, slapping his arm softly.

"What? Ivy, don't act like you don't enjoy it when Ryan's in pain," Blake laughed and Ivy rolled her eyes.

Ryan turned to me. "Uh, so, Blaise…" he began.

I turned away from him and began walking in the other direction.

"I gotta go," I said.

"Wait! Blaise!" he yelled after me. He began to join me, trying to keep pace with my long strides away from him, my feet screaming at me.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"My grandmother's house, I rather be there than here," I said to him, not bothering to look at him.

"Why? You're already here and you might as well stay at my place," he tried to reason. There was something about his voice that I couldn't quite name.

"You know why! Ryan, after all these years, you know why!" I snapped as I began to jog over to the city gates.

"Blaise! I swear I've changed!" he said to me.

Remorse.

Guilt.

Shame.

That was what was in his voice.

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him, blue meeting blue.

_He grew up, _Ivy's voice echoed in my head, but I shook it out.

"That's not the words you say to someone after years of torment," I whispered. Ryan stepped closer to me and then looked at me shyly.

"Then, _I'm sorry," _he said softly. The words sent a pang through my chest as I relived childhood memories that I wanted to leave forgotten.

I looked at him sadly and I saw that his eyes were sincere.

"I don't entirely forgive you," I snapped softly.

"I understand."

I walked passed him and in the opposite direction of the gates.

"Where are you going now?" he asked as he matched my, now, small steps.

"To the Castelia Cone stand."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I heard Cheren said you wanted to take me there."

"Cheren can't keep his mouth shut," Ryan growled softly.

I laughed. "I agree."

My laughter seemed to put Ryan at ease as I heard a soft shudder and a burst of bright light that snapped and faded to my right.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I don't know. Was it a flash of light you saw?" Ryan asked, confused.

"Yeah, you saw it too?"

"Yeah."

Ryan and I stared to the right, finding nothing. We shrugged it off, but not completely.

"You're paying right?" I smirked.

He laughed. "Of course."

* * *

"And did he pay for the ice cream?" Bianca asked, all giggly.

"Yes, Bianca, yes," I repeated for the tenth time. Bianca squealed.

"Your turn, how was your date with Cheren?" I yawned.

"Oh! He was so romantic, he paid and he took me out to the pier and we had a battle and I won, but I think he let me win," she laughed. I smiled.

"That's cute, but I would hate it if any of my dates I had ended up with me and him battling each other," I yawned again.

"Well, you're different," Bianca laughed.

"Yep."

Bianca left to go to one of the spare rooms while I laid sprawl on a futon in Cheren's aunt and uncle's living room of their apartment, which was very large.

My hair tumbled loosely over my shoulder as I wore a baggy t-shirt and pajama shorts for the night. Cheren's aunt was washing our clothes for tomorrow. I yawned and struggled to get comfortable with the large blanket covering my body on the futon. I just about settled myself in when Ryan stepped in the room.

"Blaise, are you asleep yet?" he asked.

"Yes, leave me alone," I yawned.

"Well, uh, er—you know you don't have to sleep on that futon, you can sleep in my bed if you want to," he offered. I looked at him weirdly.

"Uh, Ryan, no offense, but I don't want to sleep in _your _bed with _you,"_ I laughed. Ryan rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant, but if you're up to it then I am, too," he replied. I raised an eyebrow.

"Feeling brave, Ryan?" I asked. He laughed at me and left the living room, his laughter trailing behind him. I rested my head on the edge of the futon and slowly, and finally at peace, began to fall asleep.

* * *

A void of darkness, with strange paths and rocks. A lonely waterfall made soft noise, echoing against nothing. The dark world consumed my fears and my brightest memories. I walked along the pathway and fell through several holes. I ran, my footprints heard from miles away.

A beast in the distance yelled, called to me. He wanted to find me.

"Blaise!" a surprised voice called out to me.

"Dad? DAD!" I yelled.

There he was, after five years. My father was there, running to me. He collected me in his arms as he stroked my hair.

"Blaisey, I can't believe it's you. You've grown so much," he murmured.

"Daddy, please come back soon," I whined. I saw graying hairs and an unshaven beard, he had aged, but he was not that old. The stress of being here was killing him.

"I can't believe it's you, after all these years. Oh, my goodness," he murmured.

"Daddy, we have to escape. We have to go," I said. I tried to look for an exit, towing him behind me, finding none.

He stopped me.

"Blaise, I can't leave. You must go, before Giratina finds you, or you'll be trapped forever," he said, pushing me away from him.

"I can't leave without you," I cried. I hugged him tightly and cried into his arms.

"You must be brave, Blaise. You must always promise me to be brave. Leave, I wouldn't stand it if you were trapped in here with me. I love you, Blaise. Tell your mother I love her," he whispered in my hair. He kissed my cheek as I nodded, my tears falling on his shirt.

"I will—"

My words were interrupted as the beast found me.

His large wing beats made a wind in the world of nothing. My hair fluttered softly as he roared at me.

"BLAISE, LEAVE!" my father shouted, and pushed me into the edge of nothing. As I fell, Giratina flew after me, releasing an attack which strucked my shoulder as I passed through a void of black and white.

* * *

I had awakened in the middle of the night, drenched in my sweat. My hair stuck to my forehead and cheek and even my neck.

I began to pant, as breathing became hard for me to do.

"Blaise? Are you alright?" blue eyes asked me. I stared at them in the little light given from the kitchen.

"Ryan?" I choked, his blue eyes shown in the dark, wanting to comfort me.

"What's wrong?" he asked me.

I couldn't answer, so instead, I began to cry. Ryan moved to slowly wrap me in his arms, he was a little reluctant at first. Soon, I was crying into his chest. My tears rolled down onto his shirt, leaving little marks. He hushed me softly as he rocked me back and forth.

"What's wrong?" he asked again.

"I saw my dad," I gasped.

"What?" he exclaimed. I nodded.

"He's still alive," I choked out.

"How?"

"I don't know, but it felt so real, Ryan. I think it was real."

"How can something like that happen?"

"I DON'T KNOW! All I know is that I saw him, and that Giratina is hunting him and me, he wants to destroy the trespassers of his home!" I screamed.

"Blaise! Be quiet! Everyone can hear us! You saw your dad?" he hushed.

"Yes," I repeated.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted. He gave me a soft look as I turned away.

"I have to save him, Ryan. I'm the only one who can, the only one willing to," I sniveled.

"Blaise, how do you even know that this nightmare was real?"

"I just do."

"Well, how are you going to get all the way to the Sinnoh region?"

"I don't know."

"What are you going to do when you get there?"

"I don't know."

"How are you going to find your dad?"

"I don't know."

"How are you going to find Giratina then?"

"I don't fucking know!" I howled.

Ryan stopped asking questions.

There was a low beep that tore Ryan away from me. Ryan jumped up and ran to the kitchen, pulling something out of the oven. He pulled out a hot tray with mittens on his hands and let the tray clatter on the counter. I followed after him slowly as he turned the stove off.

The smell came to me first before I saw what he had made.

"Chocolate chip cookies," I breathed.

Ryan looked up at me.

"You can have one. I know there're your favorites. There're hot," he said softly.

"How did you know they were my favorite?" I asked, turning away.

"I noticed your dad would give you one whenever you were sad or…bullied…by me," he said delicately.

I looked at him as he passed me a cookie and one for himself.

"Yeah," I replied.

I nibbled on the hot cookie.

"Blaise…" he began.

"What?"

"I know you don't fully trust me and all, but…"

"But what?"

"If you do end up trying to find you dad—"

"I will—"

"Then I'm going to come with you. Someone needs to protect you," he said boldly.

"I'll have Snivy and Lily and Pidove," I replied, bewildered to his proposal.

"Yes, but you also need a friend, someone who can talk to you and understand you and someone for you to lean on, you know? Without crushing them," he joked, but his eyes were serious. I stared at him.

My old bully wanted to become my new ally.

"I'd have to think about it."

"I understand," he said, crushed. I'd hurt his feelings.

"No! Ryan, I meant—"

"It's alright. You don't trust me."

He began to leave.

Wanting to stop him, I leaned over the counter to grasp his forearm. He stared at me as I felt his tight and muscular arm. We stared at each other.

"When I say, I'll think about it, I mean it. I don't mean no," I breathed. He gave me a light smile.

"Alright."

I left him go slowly as my fingers unwrapped his arm.

I walked over to the futon and laid it in as Ryan left the living room.

I finished my cookie thinking about my dad.

Unable to sleep, I reached for my bag, pulling out the romance novel that I had gotten for my birthday from Cheren.

I powered through it.

There was a boy in the story, and the main character loved him.

The boy had gorgeous green eyes, as the book described.

_Just like N, _I thought as I drifted back to sleep.

* * *

"Blaise…Blaise…BLAISEY!" someone shouted in my ear. I jerked up and awakened. My vision responded groggily to the bright daylight.

"What?" I mumbled.

"Get up!" it laughed.

"Five more minutes, Bianca," I grumbled.

"Somebody wants to ask you a few questions so hurry and get dress," she replied as she threw my clothes at me.

I threw the blankets off me and grabbed my clothes and stepped into a bathroom to take a shower and do other necessities.

When I stepped out, I was cleaned and clothed. I pulled my cap over my eyes as I yawned and walked over to the kitchen where Ryan, Cheren, and Bianca were talking and eating. I joined them.

"Good morning!" I yawned.

"Morning!" chimed Bianca

"Hi," said Ryan, scared but hopeful.

"Hey, Blaisey," Cheren replied.

"What's up?" I replied as I was handed a bowl of berries for breakfast. I released Snivy, Lily, and Pidove as I let them eat from my bowl.

"Blaise?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah," I replied as I tossed a berry into my mouth.

"Have you been to Nimbasa City, yet?"

"No, not yet. I'm planning to after I beat Burgh, though."

"Well, I was wondering…if maybe…"

"Maybe what?" I asked. My Pokémon leaned their head toward the conversation.

"If maybe, you'd want to go there with me tomorrow after you beat Burgh," he said quickly, rushing on his words. Lily choked on her berry as Snivy and Pidove slapped her back to make her swallow the berry.

Bianca swallowed her laughter.

I looked into Ryan's eyes, they were begging for a yes. I turned away and took a deep breath.

"We won't be going alone, Ivy and Blake are going to come with us," he added hastily.

I smiled and turned to him.

"Yeah, sure," I giggled.

Ryan was being sweet, and kind. At least he was willing to take a chance, unlike others.

"Alright, come on, I'm going to battle Burgh first," Cheren laughed, breaking the silence. We followed Cheren as I took my bowl of berries with me. As Cheren opened the door he muttered, "What the hell?"

I heard the snap of plastic wrapper as I heard Cheren step on something.

"Aw! Cheren! Look what you stepped on!" Bianca cried out as she bent down. She picked up something from the floor. I stared at it.

"Awwww! They're flowers!" I chimed. Bianca glared at Cheren. "You broke them!" she cried out. Ryan laughed. Cheren took the bouquet of flowers from Bianca and read a little piece of paper attached to the bouquet. Cheren looked confused as he handed me the bouquet.

"It's for Blaise," Cheren said.

"What?" Ryan exclaimed.

"Huh?" Bianca gasped.

"Excuse me?" I asked as I raised my eyebrow, taking the flowers. In the bouquet were Bells of Ireland, purple carnations and euphorbia flowers.

"They're pretty…" I murmured.

"Who were they from?" Ryan asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know." The paper just said: _To Blaise_

There was no name telling me who it was from.

Bianca and Cheren shared a look.

"What?" I snapped at them.

"Nothing," they murmured. I stuffed the flowers into my bag, the buds poking out beside Lily.

They stared at me as I walked pass them. I turned around.

"Come on, guys. Cheren has to battle Burgh," I urged.

They gave me weird looks; Ryan was envious of whoever sent the flowers. I assured them I didn't know who sent the flowers. They looked dubious.

We walked out of the apartment as we explored Castelia City. I stopped the group for a minute so could get a Castelia Cone, they were very yummy and I've gotten quite obsessed.

"Where's the Gym?" I asked.

"Right over there," Ryan pointed out stiffly. I gave him a look which he ignored.

_Jerk. _

"You guys have fun in Castelia, I'm going to battle. I'll meet you in the plaza in probably thirty minutes tops," Cheren stated.

"Alright. I'm splitting, bye," I said quickly as I walked away. Bianca followed but Ryan didn't.

"What's his problem?" I growled.

Bianca laughed.

"He's jealous."

"Of what?"

"Of whoever sent you those flowers!" she exclaimed. "Isn't it obvious?" she added.

"He has no reason to, no other guys like me," I sighed.

"What about N?"

"He doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"He cares more about other things than a girl right now."

"How would you know?"

"I just do."

"Well, I think he sent you the flowers."

"I think they're from someone else."

"Who?"

I pondered a bit, and then snapped to a conclusion.

"Maybe Cilan. He's a grass user and he seems more likely to send flowers. Plus he was sweet. His brothers were too," I blushed. Bianca gasped.

"Do you like one of them?"

"HELL NO!"

Bianca and I erupted in laughter.

"Well, it's more of a likely to be them than N," Bianca giggled.

"Yeah," I muttered.

"OH! Blaise! A store!" Bianca exclaimed. I laughed as Bianca towed me to the Mart.

As we entered, our nerves were calmed. We skipped over to the jewelry department.

"Do you think Cheren would notice me more if I wore this?" Bianca asked as she pointed to a green jeweled necklace behind a glass case.

"I don't know, but it's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Blaise, do you think Cheren likes me?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I do. I think he has loved you since forever," I replied.

"Sometimes, I think he likes you," she confessed. I laughed.

"Trust me, he doesn't."

"How would you know?"

"I just do."

"Is that your favorite answer? _'I just do'?"_

"Yes."

"Hm."

"Hi, Blaise! Bianca!" A voice chimed.

I turned around to see Ivy, dressed in a green tank top with Capri shorts. Zee was in her arms snoozing.

"Hi, Ivy!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, how are you guys?"

"Good," I replied.

"So-so," Bianca replied.

She laughed. "Wow. Where's Cheren and Ryan? Shouldn't they be with you guys?"

"Cheren's battling Burgh," Bianca started.

"And we have no idea where Ryan is," I finished. She shrugged and her clutter of stones clattered and bumped into each other.

"Ryan's a weirdo. Pay him no heed," she giggled.

"So what are you doing here?" Bianca asked as she marveled at the green necklace behind the glass case.

"I work here."

"Really?" I asked in fascination.

"Yeah, I do fortune telling here," she blushed.

"OH! REALLY? Can you read my fortune?" Bianca gushed.

"Later, I took a few days off," Ivy admitted. Bianca looked disappointed as Ivy felt bad.

"But I can tell you that your future is bright and something surprising is coming your way," she said quickly. Bianca squealed and hugged Ivy. I laughed.

The people here in Castelia City were nice, and Ivy was nicer.

"Come on, Cheren's a little late. I'm going to go on and check on him at the gym," Bianca said with worry.

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," I replied.

Bianca left. I spent a few minutes buying a few items necessary for our travel and bought loads of snacks. Snivy, Lily, and Pidove licked their lips greedily.

Ivy suddenly jerked and shivered.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Something doesn't feel right. Come on, let's go find Cheren and Bianca," Ivy said worriedly as she tugged on my arm. Her Zorua was suddenly alert.

"Alright, let's go," I said.

"Something's wrong…" Ivy whispered worriedly. Her hand flew to the blue stone within the jumble of her stones.

"Ivy, what's up with your stones?" I asked as we jogged to the Gym.

"Colors have meanings, and the stones help me be centered," she said quickly.

"Why are you holding the blue stone?"

"Blue is the color of peace, and right now, I'm lacking it," she confessed. Her eyes were searching for something, a sign.

What's happening to my cousin right now?

Where is she?

What's going on?

* * *

A/N: Chapter 7! Woot! Confession: going to be a very long time before I update this story again. Sorry, but my other stories are being neglected. :( Review and get a shout out! I love you guys! I reached my 20 review mark and I'm super happy! Thank you muchos! (Reason for late update is school)


	8. Bianca's Munna and The Sages

A/N: Another chappie! Yay! It only took what? A year and a few months? Actually, sorry about that…with shit hitting the fan and finally being a freshman in honors classes in a stupid high school, it's harder to write these days. Scroll past the shout outs to get to the story, the shout outs are a bit long today. Plus, sorry if I missed any grammatical errors by the way!

**Shouts outs to:**

sailor phoenix black-I'll keep on continuing! Nope, not Shauntal! *smiles* Thanks!

DragonFire Princess-Here's the update! Thanks!

katana1251-Thank you so much! Ha-ha, here's the update!

Amber Icefire-Here's the update! For the sake of your sanity! *smiles*

Musical2day-Haha, I wrote a new chappie!

poke-gal649-Thank you! I plan to continue it as far as I can!

vivi493-Thank you! The flower-sender is a surprise! Ryan went to arrange something *waggles brows* Cheren and Bianca are fighting their love for each other so bare with them, please! *smiles*

DD-Thank you! I wrote more!

UnlockingImagination-Haha, thank you!

WUTEVER-I finally published one! Yay!

IloveHilbertandHilda-I'm continuing! Thank you so much and sorry for you waiting so long

Lana-thanks!

theshremanator-What?

Guests-thank you all for your comments! They have been well received and thanks for calling me awesome, wishing for updates, and reading and reviewing. I shall continue on!

And thank you to my Flamer.

(Review and get a shout out, I love to thank my reviewers this way. It's a way to express my gratitude for staying with this story and just to interact with my readers. *insert silly smile*

* * *

**Bianca's Munna and the Sages**

Ivy and I were running full speed to the Gym, searching frantically for Bianca. After finding the correct road, we veered sharply as Ivy led me to the Gym. We were just about to run through the Gym doors when it flung open instead, smacking into my forehead and knocking off my cap. I hissed in pain and rubbed my forehead, stumbling back a few steps as Ivy caught my shoulders and picked up my hat. What with doors lately smacking me?

"Ow," I hissed as I tugged my ponytail through the back strap, adjusting it so it was straight again.

"Blaise? Oh, jeez! Sorry!" Cheren cried as he spotted me rubbing my head. The pain is bearable, with light throbbing now and I notice something golden on his cheeks.

"It's ok. Cheren, what's on your face?" I asked. Cheren touched his face lightly.

"Honey," he growled, smearing the golden substance off with a thumb. I raised a brow and tilted my head to the side, confused. "Don't ask," he tells me, ignoring Ivy's giggle.

"Ok," I said.

"_Anyways_, I just challenged Burgh."

"Oh! How'd it go?" Ivy chimed quickly.

"He's seasoned, I'll tell you that. God, it was horrible, made me work really hard for the badge," he said, fishing the badge out of his pocket, showing me the shiny object as he holds it between his thumb and forefinger. "But it wasn't that bad. Bug-types don't really pose that much of threat for me…and Tepig, of course," he added quickly.

"Right," Ivy giggled.

Cheren rolled his eyes. "I'm going to keep winning like this against all the Gym Leaders. Then, it's the Pokémon League where I'll battle the Champion. Soon, everyone will admit I'm the strongest Trainer and I'll be truly alive." Cheren eyes get a bit glossy.

"And I'll be right behind you, Cheren," I jeered, knocking him out of his trance. He cocks a brow and stares at me like I'm a joke.

"Better pick up the pace, then." He smirked as I stuck out my tongue. He's just about to leave when I remember why we were here. I grabbed the back of his jacket and he jerks back awkwardly, caught off guard.

"Have you seen Bianca?" I asked. His eyes grew wide.

"No, what happened?"

"I had a brief premonition," Ivy confessed. "Well, more like warning bells going off in my head. It happened a litter after she had left us to go find you," Ivy said, her hands sailing back to her cluster of stones that hang around her neck, her fingers seeking the light blue stone as she grasped it tightly.

"I'll go see if I can find her," he said, readjusting his glasses. He jogged away from us. We're about to follow him when the Gym doors open again. I turned around and spot Burgh.

"Burgh!" Ivy and I exclaimed.

"Ah ha!" he cried as he spots us, a smile playing on his lips. "You're the one that helped me in Pinwheel Forest, correct?"

I nodded.

"Blaise, right?"

I nodded again.

"Have you come to challenge my Gym?"

"Yes, but—"

"Do you mind waiting a bit?"

"Well—"

"I was just informed that Team Plasma has shown up!"

"Team Plasma?" Ivy asked. I waved off her question with a hand, motioning that I'll explain later. Burgh has my full attention now.

"Actually, come along. We should be heading to the dock at Prime Pier."

I turned on my heels and sprinted towards the direction of Prime Pier, Ivy and Burgh not far behind. Prime Pier is the second dock closest to the entrance of Castelia. Most people on the streets steer out of our way, cautious and weary of what's going on…or what will happen.

As we headed to the end of Prime Pier, I spotted Bianca, shoulders shaking and being consoled by someone I don't know. Her sobbing is loud with tiny moments of when she has to breathe. I nearly bumped into her as I skidded to a stop.

"Bianca!" I exclaimed, spotting her red face. She pushed a lock of her hair out of her face as she turns to me, crying harder.

"Iris?" Ivy asked. I can tell by the way Ivy said her name that they're friends.

"Munna…" Bianca said softly, her lips trembling. She sniffled and more tears crossed over her cheeks, dropping to the pavement. She's making soft whimpering noises now.

It took a moment to grasp the idea, but after a moment my eyes grew wide. "D-did Team Plasma take your Pokémon?"

Bianca looked at me through red eyes and nodded, biting her lip hard. "My Munna," she wailed. "Blaise, you have to help me, is there anything you can do? Team Plasma took Munna!" she repeated, crying harder between gasps.

"I heard her scream and tried to run after the thieves but they managed to hide and I lost them so I came back here. This stupid city is so big and crowded…"Iris growled.

The girl looked like she was thirteen. Her hair was purplish—long and voluminous—and her eyes shone an angry, dark brown. Her skin was the shade of a creamy chocolate and she wore a blouse with long sleeves with a wrap around skirt with a bow to the side.

"You did what you could, Iris," Burgh said.

"But it's terrible! Taking others' Pokémon is awful! I mean, it's really nice when people and Pokémon are together! Each has something the other doesn't, and we help each other out!" Iris exclaimed angrily.

"Axew!" a noise agreed. An Axew jumped out of Iris' hair, causing me to take a step back as I regain my composure.

"Iris…" Ivy said softly, hoping to get the girl's mind off her failure.

"You're right, Iris!" Burgh exclaimed. "Don't worry. We'll get the Pokémon back. Right, Blaise? Ivy?"

"Yes."

Ivy nodded. "Having said that, finding a person or a Pokémon here in Castelia City will be like a needle in a haystack," Burgh admitted.

"We can split up," I tried, but my words went unheard as Bianca shrieked, tugging on my vest violently to get me to turn around.

"A Gym Leader?" A grunt of Team Plasma wasn't so far from us, his eyes wide from shock. With the five us here, all Trainers, the grunt looked surprised and fearful. He started murmuring to himself. "Last time it went so well, and I thought I would grab another Pokémon…" He paused. "Maybe I should rethink my plan."

He shouted suddenly and dashed away from us.

"Iris! Stay here with the young lady," Burgh commanded, already sprinting away.

Iris nodded. "I'll be her bodyguard."

"C'mon, Ivy!" I yelled, following after Burgh. Our feet slapped against the pavement, people once again clearing the way for us. Ivy's stones clacked together and I knew she was following me, her breath as ragged as mine.

_Oh, Arceus. My feet are starting to hurt again, _I whined internally, but I kept running.

"B-Blaise! Wait," Ivy wheezed, but I didn't stop and I knew Ivy wouldn't. We kept running until we found a bent Burgh, hunched over and gripping his knees. The two of us stopped and hunched over beside him as well, trying to catch our breath.

"That way," Burgh gestured angrily. He paused and sucked in a shocked breath as Ivy did the same.

"Toward the Gym?" she asked. We started running again down the street, each of us spotting a hooded grunt. We stopped in front of them and Burgh confirmed their status.

I couldn't believe their hideout was right before the Gym, in an empty skyscraper.

"This is the place," Ivy confirmed softly to us.

"Nobody is in here," a grunt said quickly.

"Not a single soul," another grunt added. I cocked my head to the side. It was clear that none of us were idiots or fools. Who were they trying to play?

"Neither Team Plasma members are here, nor any of the Seven Sages are hidden inside," the third one tried.

"You have three seconds to step aside," Ivy said, her voice calm but her eyes sparking like a fire. I noticed that her hand was now rubbing the red stone around her neck.

"If you believe me to be lying, let's have a battle and find out," the first one jeered. A corner of my lip lifted up into a smirk as I stuck my hand in my bag, letting my fingers find a Pokéball.

"My pleasure." With a flip of my wrist, I released Pidove. One grunt gritted his teeth as the two others went to Burgh and Ivy.

"I'll take the weak-looking runt," the grunt laughed. He tossed a ball in the air, a Sandile landing before him.

"Pi!" Pidove giggled.

"Air cutter!" I yelled.

"Avoid!" the grunt responded.

Pidove was getting faster and stronger. She lunged for the Sandile and swiped at the air, cutting the Sandile. The Sandile hissed in pain and Pidove chirped.

"Bite!" the grunt commanded.

"Counter attack with Gust!" I yelled.

Sandile flashed his teeth as he jumped, but he was weak. Pidove, seeing his teeth, shrieked and flapped her wings madly, blowing him back as he smack into the building before us. He was knocked out.

"Return! C'mon, Snivy!" I commanded. Pidove chirped happily and returned as Snivy was released from her ball, landing on her feet with ease as she dropped to the ground. The grunt released another Sandile, to my dismay.

"They're making this way too easy," I taunted. The grunt growled.

"Leaf Tornado!" I yelled.

"Avoid!"

The grunt's Sandile tried to dance out of the way but Snivy whipped her tornado toward the Sandile. The Sandile, consumed by the tornado of leaves, yelled and finally fainted when it rolled to the grunt's feet. The grunt looked down and back at me.

"All I wanted was your Pokémon!" he shouted angrily. I was about to respond when I turned to look at Ivy. She was breathing hard and angry, her Zorua hovering over a fainted Pokémon, ripe with victory like me and Snivy. The two of us watched as Burgh won his battle, too, shortly after we had. The grunts backed away.

"This is bad. Really bad," the grunts muttered. "We need to report to the Sages!"

I watched as they ran in, not bothering to lock the door behind them. We were about to run after them when we were greeted by Bianca and Iris.

"We got lost," Iris explained. "Even when we had the directions told to us through the Xtransceiver, we couldn't figure it out, Ivy."

"They're inside," Burgh told them. "The stolen Pokémon might be in there, too. Let's go." He walked in past us and Iris explained how she wasn't going to be left out this time, telling Bianca to come as well. Ivy and I followed. We pushed open the door with our shoulders, our Pokémon following behind us, and joined Burgh.

I gasped.

It was Ghetsis. He was in between two men—Sages? Judging from their attire?—and the grunts from before.

"My word, if it isn't the Gym Leader, Mr. Burgh," he began.

"What would you say is the guiding principle for the members of Team Plasma?" Burgh interrupted. "'Take what you want from people?'"

"I thought it would be amusing to have an existing hideout right in front of a Pokémon Gym, but we were found more quickly than I'd imagine. Excuse me, Ghetsis."

"Indeed, Bronius. No matter. We already have an exceptional headquarters," Ghetsis assured the man on his right. He turned to us.

"Are you aware of the legend of the founding of the Unova region?"

Iris stepped forward. "I am. It's the black Dragon-type Pokémon, correct?"

Ghetsis stepped forward as well, starting to pace. "The truth is this…The black dragon appeared before his hero who sought the ideal way to knit the world together which was full of warring people. This dragon of black shared his knowledge, bared his fangs to those who oppose him and his hero. Together, the power of the dragon and the hero brought unity to the hearts of civilians and the land, thus creating Unova." He paced to the other side and turned his gazed back to us, his eyes glowing with determination, a sight that triggered fear in me as I tried to appear calm and tried to hide this growing fear.

"We shall bring back the hero and the black dragon to Unova once more!" he shouted. I gritted my teeth, and looked away, trying my best not to say anything. He was feeding us information, information we needed to attain a grasp on what was going on.

"If we win people's hearts and their minds, we can just as easily create the world that I—I mean, Team Plasma—desire." He took his place back between the two sages.

"In Castelia, there are many different kinds of people," Burgh said slowly. "Everyone's lifestyle, culture, and ways of thinking are different. There's something about what you are saying that I don't understand. One thing we have in common is that we care for our partners, the Pokémon. Even people meeting for the first time can discuss the subjects of Pokémon. Talking, battling, and trading. You are responsible for making me rethink the relationship I have with Pokémon. And I thank you. I made a promise, swearing myself to dedicate myself to Pokémon even more strongly! What you're doing, are you not going to strengthen the bond between Trainer and Pokémon even more?"

I looked at Ghetsis sideways, peering at him underneath my hat and through the corner of my eyes. His shoulder shook lightly and he released a hearty laugh. Shivers ran down my spine as I saw Ivy slowly grasp a clear stone. Ghetsis cocked his head to the side.

"You, Gym Leader. You are hard to figure out—more intelligent than I'd thought. I quite like intelligent people. You'll enjoy hearing this…From every corner of this world I have summoned knowledgeable people for our King's benefit."

My ears perked. _King? _I stared at Ghetsis straight on.

"You could call them the Seven Sages. Well, then! We will give in to your opinion for now and leave you be. Return the girl's Pokémon!" he commanded. A grunt released a Munna, and upon spotting Bianca, dashed her way, rubbing against her cheeks.

"Mun!" it cried.

"Oh! Munny, I'm so glad to see you! Thank you!" Bianca cried, hugging her Munna against her. Iris jumped in anger.

"Bianca!" Iris started. "Why are you thanking Team Plasma? They take people's Pokémon!"

Bianca turned to face Iris, clenching her Munna tightly. "It's just, I'm so h-happy that my Munna is safe."

"The friendship between human and Pokémon can be so touching. But in order to liberate them from fools, we will revive the legend of Unova region and win the hearts of all. Farewell…" Ghetsis said. I snapped my head in his direction and Ghetsis eyes meet mine. We stared at each other briefly and his eyes flashed in anger upon recognition. Then, in a flash of darkness, he was gone. He had just simply disappeared.

He remembered me.

"Burgh! What have you done? Why are you letting them get away?" Iris shouted, racing to face Burgh. She was angry, accusing Burgh and jabbing a finger to his chest.

"Gah," Burgh grunted. "What do we do if anything's happened to other stolen Pokémon?"

"Nothing for now, Burgh," Ivy said softly. "There's nothing we can do now. We'll just have to see and wait for more to come."

"It's okay. No one was or got hurt and more than anything, I got my Munna back. Thank you so much," Bianca added. Iris turned to Bianca.

"Well, if you're happy…"

"What is everyone planning to do now?" Burgh asked. Bianca's eyes lit up.

"Oh! It would be sensational to sight-see around Castelia, but…"

"Don't you worry! I'll just keep on being your bodyguard!" Iris offered.

"Iris—" Bianca began.

"That would be great! Iris is a phenomenal Pokémon Trainer, but just not at home in the city. People and Pokémon need to help out another. A little give-and-take!" Burgh laughed. A corner of my lip lifted into a smile.

"Oh! Ivy and Blaise! Thanks for looking for Munna!" Iris added.

"It's no problem. I'm glad I could help," I said.

"Here, I have a few of these. Take them!" Iris said, spilling Yache berries into mine and Ivy's palms. I gave her a thank you as I let the berries slide into a pouch in my bag.

"See you!" she exclaimed as she pushed Bianca out of the building.

"Where are you heading?" I asked Ivy. She smiled and her fingers sought out a pink stone around her neck.

"I'm meeting Blake for an early lunch. I'll see you later," she said, heading out toward the door.

"If you see Cheren make sure to tell him what happened in case he doesn't know, so he won't freak out."

"I will." After a moment, she left.

"Well Blaise," Burgh began. "I'll be waiting in the Gym. Don't disappoint me," he laughed.

I raised a brow, smirking at him as he turned to exit.

"I won't."

* * *

A/N: So if anyone noticed, compared to other chapters, this is noticeably, much, much shorter. The reason it is shorter is because I got an anonymous review saying simply that my chapters were too long and that they wasted their time reading my story. I don't want anyone wasting their time anymore so if I made you guys feel that way, I'm sorry. From now on chapters will be shorter and—hopefully—better so readers won't feel like they're wasting their time. Again, sooooo sorry! Please forgive me! *smiles and waves and runs off to eat*


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